Latest news with #Venegas
Epoch Times
25-05-2025
- Epoch Times
DHS: US Citizen Detained for Obstructing Arrest of Illegal Immigrant
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday defended its detention of a Florida-born citizen who allegedly interfered during a targeted immigration enforcement operation. He was released after being restrained and questioned over his response to the arrest of his brother, an illegal immigrant. Leonardo Garcia Venegas, 25, was detained on May 21 by federal immigration authorities while at his worksite in Foley, Alabama. Video of the arrest shows Venegas at what appears to be a construction site being restrained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The footage shows a struggle between Venegas and an agent before a second agent comes in to assist. An individual who was not shown in the footage appeared to defend Garcia and reassured ICE agents that he was a U.S. citizen. NTD reached out to ICE, but the agency declined to offer additional information. ICE instead pointed to the statement offered by DHS. In that statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said that Venegas prevented ICE agents from doing their job. Related Stories 5/24/2025 5/21/2025 'During a targeted worksite operation, the individual in question attempted to obstruct & prevent the lawful arrest of an illegal alien,' she wrote in a NTD also reached out to DHS for additional details but did not receive an immediate response. In an The man's family friend, Shelah Venegas, had 'This happened this morning 05/21 in south Alabama,' she wrote on TikTok. 'A family friend was harrased by these unprofessional federal agents.!! I want to make it known this young man is a US CITIZEN !! He was working normally and as soon as he was approached made it known he was a citizen and was still getting put in handcuffs.' NTD reached out to Shelah Venegas through the social media platform but did not receive a response by publication time. Leonardo Garcia Venegas was released from the police vehicle after providing his Social Security number, his friend said. His brother, however, was not released. He is not a U.S. citizen and not in the country legally, according to Venegas. The brothers live together, and their parents are from Mexico. They are trying to find a lawyer but have been told that it's difficult to sue a federal agent or local law enforcement officer, their cousin said. According to the White House, illegal border encounters are down by 95 percent since Trump took office. From NTD News
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Leonardo Venegas case: DHS says Alabama man obstructed ICE arrest after damning video emerges
The Leonardo Garcia Venegas arrest case took a major turn on Saturday after the Department of Homeland Security revealed that ICE agents were not trying to arrest the Alabama man initially. The DHS, in a statement, said that Venegas tried to obstruct officials and refused to comply with verbal instructions while they were trying to detain a subject. After a video showing ICE agents holding Venegas' neck and putting him down on his knees before his arrest surfaced, DHS claimed that the Florida-born man faced 'consequences' over his refusal to comply with commands. 'He physically got in between agents and the subject they were attempting to arrest and refused to comply with numerous verbal commands. Anyone who actively obstructs law enforcement in the performance of their sworn duties, including U.S. citizens, will, of course, face consequences, which include arrest," Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary, said on Saturday. Read More: Federal judge blocks immigration authorities from revoking international students' legal status Venegas, however, denied DHS's claim. He told NBC News that he was trying to take out his phone when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent took it and threw it to the ground. Spanish-language US news outlet Telemundo reported that authorities dismissed his Real ID as 'fake' during an arrest operation on Wednesday. The outlet first posted the video, showing officers wrestling Leonardo Garcia Venegas. The 25-year-old was born to Mexican parents in Florida. He was at his construction job in Foley, Alabama, during his arrest. Read More: No US visa for travel agency owners, officials who facilitated illegal immigration In the clip, Venegas can be heard yelling: 'I am a citizen." He told Telemundo that officials took out his wallet, removed his ID, but told him that it was fake. 'They cuffed me,' he said. 'They put the cuffs on quite hard.' Four other people were arrested at the scene, including Venegas's brother, who is undocumented. His cousin, Shelah Venegas, posted his arrest clip on social media, writing, "These federal agents without a single cause completely harassed a family member who is a US CITIZEN!!"
Newsweek
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Citizen Detained by ICE and Told His REAL ID Is 'Fake'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Leonardo García Venegas, a Florida-born U.S. citizen with a REAL ID, was forcibly arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at an Alabama construction site after agents claimed his identification was "fake," Venegas told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish on Friday. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Newsweek on Saturday morning that "there was no mistake" during the encounter, stating that Venegas "attempted to obstruct and prevent the lawful arrest of an illegal alien," thereby leading to his arrest. Newsweek reached out to ICE for comment via email on Sunday. Newsweek also reached out to Venegas' cousin, Shelah Venegas, via Facebook Messenger for comment on Saturday. Why It Matters Venegas' arrest comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, during which people with valid documentation—including green cards or visas—have been detained and face legal jeopardy. In April, President Donald Trump floated the idea of deporting U.S. citizens with violent criminal records to El Salvador. Trump campaigned on a hardline immigration stance, pledging to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. In the initial months of his presidency, his administration has deported around 100,000 illegal immigrants, many due to his invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the president authority to deport non-citizens without appearing before a judge, among other wartime authorities. As of May 7, travelers need a REAL ID license or other specific state accepted identifications or passports to board federally regulated commercial aircraft and access certain federal facilities. What To Know On May 21, Venegas, 25, was wrestled down at a construction site in Foley, Alabama, by ICE agents. The video of the arrest was aired by Noticias Telemundo, and shows officers physically restraining him. His cousin, Shelah Venegas, posted the video of his arrest on Facebook, writing, "These federal agents without a single cause completely harassed a family member who is a US CITIZEN!!" Venegas provided the agents with his identification. The officials took it, told him it was fake, and then handcuffed him, he told Noticias Telemundo. "Apparently a REAL ID is not valid anymore. He has a REAL ID," Shelah Venegas told NBC News. "We all made sure we have the REAL ID and went through the protocols the administration is asking has his REAL ID and then they see him and I guess because his English isn't fluent and/or because he's brown it's fake, it's not real." Venegas, whose parents are from Mexico, told Noticias Telemundo that he was released hours later from the vehicle he was being held in after reciting his Social Security number to the officials, further proving his U.S. citizenship. When he returned to the construction site, ICE had detained other workers, including his 34-year-old brother who is reportedly undocumented, according to the Latin Times. The Department of Homeland Security seal is seen on the podium at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters on April 9 in Washington. Inset: Leonardo Garcia Venegas, provided by Telemundo, is seen. The Department of Homeland Security seal is seen on the podium at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters on April 9 in Washington. Inset: Leonardo Garcia Venegas, provided by Telemundo, is seen. AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Telemundo What People Are Saying A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek in an email Saturday: "During a targeted worksite operation, this individual attempted to obstruct and prevent the lawful arrest of an illegal alien. He physically got in between agents and the subject they were attempting to arrest and refused to comply with numerous verbal commands. Anyone who actively obstructs law enforcement in the performance of their sworn duties, including U.S. citizens, will of course face consequences which include arrest." Shelah Venegas, whose family owns a contracting company, told NBC News: "A lot of the people that work with us are not are refusing to go to work. They said they are not going to go until this stuff calms down." What Happens Next? Many have raised concerns about the Trump administration's detention and deportation practices, saying the process often lacks due process protections for individuals. Supporters say the crackdown is necessary to deter illegal immigration and remove criminals. Shelah Venegas told NBC News her cousin's brother has signed deportation papers as their family wanted to avoid him being detained "forever," a scenario they said happened with another family member.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
U.S. citizen with REAL ID handcuffed and held in immigration raid before being released
A U.S.-born citizen who was wrestled into the dirt, handcuffed and detained in a vehicle as part of an immigration raid had a REAL ID on him that was dismissed as fake, the man's cousin said Friday. Video of the arrest, aired by Noticias Telemundo, showed authorities grabbing Leonardo Garcia Venegas, 25, while at a job site in Foley, Alabama, on Wednesday and bending his arms behind him. Someone off-camera can be heard yelling, "He's a citizen." Garcia told Noticias Telemundo that authorities took his ID from his wallet and told him it was fake before handcuffing him. REAL ID is the identification U.S. citizens are required by law to have in order to travel through airports and enter federal buildings. It is considered a higher security form of identification. "Apparently a REAL ID is not valid anymore. He has a REAL ID," his cousin Shelah Venegas said. "We all made sure we have the REAL ID and went through the protocols the administration is asking for. ... He has his REAL ID and then they see him and I guess because his English isn't fluent and/or because he's brown it's fake, it's not real." Garcia had told Noticias Telemundo that "they grabbed me real bad" and the handcuffs were placed "very hard" on him. Garcia said he was released from the vehicle where he was held after he gave the arresting officials his Social Security number, which showed he is a U.S. citizen. The arrest has left Garcia, who was born in Florida, shaken, particularly because the officers also arrested and detained his brother, who is not in the country legally, Venegas said. She added that Garcia lived with his brother. Their parents are from Mexico. "He was actually pretty sore when he got back," Venegas said of Garcia. "He said his arms were hurting and his hands. His wrists, you could see where he had all the marks from the handcuffs. ... The way they put him on the ground, his knees also were hurting." She said they have been trying to find a lawyer but local ones have told them that it is nearly impossible to sue a federal agent. It is not clear from the video whether the authorities were federal immigration agents or local law enforcement carrying out enforcement duties. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to NBC News that Garcia interfered with an arrest during a targeted worksite operation. 'He physically got in between agents and the subject they were attempting to arrest and refused to comply with numerous verbal commands,' said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS assistant secretary. 'Anyone who actively obstructs law enforcement in the performance of their sworn duties, including U.S. citizens, will of course face consequences which include arrest.' The response did not address the dismissal of Garcia's identification. Garcia denied that he interrupted an arrest. He told NBC News that he was trying to take out his phone when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent took it and threw it to the ground and then an agent began grabbing him. Venegas said Garcia's brother has signed deportation papers because the family didn't want him detained "forever" as they've seen happen to another family member, who was held for months in a Louisiana detention center. "It's inhumane, what they are doing to our people. They are treating them as if they were murderers," she said. Venegas said the immigration arrests are creating repercussions among Hispanics, even among U.S. citizens. "It's about race now. It's not about whether you are here legally or not," she said. Her family owns a fairly large contracting company, she said, "and a lot of the people that work with us are not working. ... They are refusing to go to work. They said they are not going to go until this stuff calms down." Venegas added that the majority of her family is self-employed and "we do the same thing every other citizen does." "It's just insane we can't be different, the color that we are. We contribute to this country the same way every other citizen does with their taxes," she said. "But we have to be the ones that every time we go to work, we are going to be scared that we're going to get discriminated." "I think about my family," she said. "Even though a lot of them are citizens, I think about how we all work in the same area in construction and they can't sit out there because they could literally get harassed or attacked the way my cousin did." This article was originally published on
NBC News
23-05-2025
- NBC News
U.S. citizen with REAL ID handcuffed and held in immigration raid before being released
A U.S.-born citizen who was wrestled into the dirt, handcuffed and detained in a vehicle as part of an immigration raid had a REAL ID on him that was dismissed as fake, the man's cousin said Friday. Video of the arrest, aired by Noticias Telemundo, showed authorities grabbing Leonardo Garcia Venegas, 25, while at a job site in Foley, Alabama, on Wednesday and bending his arms behind him. Someone off-camera can be heard yelling, "He's a citizen." Garcia told Noticias Telemundo that authorities took his ID from his wallet and told him it was fake before handcuffing him. REAL ID is the identification U.S. citizens are required by law to have in order to travel through airports and enter federal buildings. It is considered a higher security form of identification. "Apparently a REAL ID is not valid anymore. He has a REAL ID," his cousin Shelah Venegas said. "We all made sure we have the REAL ID and went through the protocols the administration is asking for. ... He has his REAL ID and then they see him and I guess because his English isn't fluent and/or because he's brown it's fake, it's not real." Garcia had told Noticias Telemundo that "they grabbed me real bad" and the handcuffs were placed "very hard" on him. Garcia said he was released from the vehicle where he was held after he gave the arresting officials his Social Security number, which showed he is a U.S. citizen. The arrest has left Garcia, who was born in Florida, shaken, particularly because the officers also arrested and detained his brother, who is not in the country legally, Venegas said. She added that Garcia lived with his brother. Their parents are from Mexico. "He was actually pretty sore when he got back," Venegas said of Garcia. "He said his arms were hurting and his hands. His wrists, you could see where he had all the marks from the handcuffs. ... The way they put him on the ground, his knees also were hurting." She said they have been trying to find a lawyer but local ones have told them that it is nearly impossible to sue a federal agent. It is not clear from the video whether the authorities were federal immigration agents or local law enforcement carrying out enforcement duties. NBC News reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, where Foley is located, but did not immediately receive responses. Venegas said Garcia's brother has signed deportation papers because the family didn't want him detained "forever" as they've seen happen to another family member, who was held for months in a Louisiana detention center. "It's inhumane, what they are doing to our people. They are treating them as if they were murderers," she said. Venegas said the immigration arrests are creating repercussions among Hispanics, even among U.S. citizens. "It's about race now. It's not about whether you are here legally or not," she said. Her family owns a fairly large contracting company, she said, "and a lot of the people that work with us are not working. ... They are refusing to go to work. They said they are not going to go until this stuff calms down." Venegas added that the majority of her family is self-employed and "we do the same thing every other citizen does." "It's just insane we can't be different, the color that we are. We contribute to this country the same way every other citizen does with their taxes," she said. "But we have to be the ones that every time we go to work, we are going to be scared that we're going to get discriminated." "I think about my family," she said. "Even though a lot of them are citizens, I think about how we all work in the same area in construction and they can't sit out there because they could literally get harassed or attacked the way my cousin did."
