Leonardo Garcia Venegas went to work on a Wednesday at a private construction site in Foley, Alabama. It was a rainy day in May, and upon returning to the site with plastic sheets to protect freshly poured concrete, ICE had trespassed onto the development. He began filming and was promptly tackled to the ground, with no verbal commands. “I am a U.S. citizen,” he repeated over and over.
Venegas was detained for over an hour after showing his ID, according to the complaint from a lawsuit filed in federal court Sept. 30, 2025. “The officers told Leo that his STAR ID was fake, handcuffed him, removed him from his jobsite,” the complaint stated. His situation is not unique.
