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Army veteran detained by ICE despite U.S. citizenship claims, files federal lawsuit

Feb 24, 2026 · Camarillo, CA

Army veteran detained by ICE despite U.S. citizenship claims, files federal lawsuit

George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen and Army veteran, was detained by ICE agents on July 10, 2025, during a workplace raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, Ventura County, California. Despite repeatedly identifying himself as a U.S. citizen, he was pulled from his car, tear-gassed, and arrested without being told why he was detained. He was taken to a Navy base for DNA collection, then held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles for three days without access to phone calls, legal representation, a shower, or a judge appearance before being released without charges. Retes filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act, challenging the Trump administration's claimed absolute immunity for immigration enforcement officers. In February 2026, he attended the State of the Union as a guest of Rep. Mark Takano.

Timeline

Feb 24, 2026Retes attends State of the Union as guest of Rep. Mark Takano
Feb 20, 2026Retes files federal civil rights lawsuit against federal government under Federal Tort Claims Act, challenging absolute immunity claims for immigration enforcement officers
Jul 13, 2025Retes released from detention without charges after three days
Jul 10, 2025George Retes detained by ICE agents during workplace raid at Glass House Farms in Camarillo; pulled from car, tear-gassed, and arrested despite claiming U.S. citizenship
Jul 10, 2025Retes transported to Navy base for DNA collection, then to Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles

Sources

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