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Alabama Citizen Detained in ICE Raids Files Class Action Challenging Warrantless Worksite Tactics

Plaintiffs target appearance‑based detentions at private construction sites, seeking a court order halting the policy.

Overview

  • Leo Garcia Venegas and the Institute for Justice filed a proposed class action on Oct. 1 in the Southern District of Alabama seeking an injunction and damages.
  • Venegas, a U.S. citizen, says ICE detained him on May 21 in Foley and June 12 in Fairhope despite presenting an Alabama REAL ID and asserting his citizenship.
  • The complaint alleges agents entered private sites without warrants, ran past white and Black workers, and detained Latino workers based on appearance and occupation.
  • DHS rejects the claims of profiling and says agents act on reasonable suspicion, asserting that any citizen arrests stem from obstruction; the department says Venegas obstructed during a May operation.
  • Coworker video shows officers forcing Venegas to the ground before he was released after ID checks; no charges were filed and the civil case is pending against the backdrop of recent Supreme Court guidance on such enforcement.