79-year-old US citizen tackled by ICE agents during raid, suffers broken ribs and brain injury
May 21, 2026·Location: Los Angeles, CA

Rafie Ollah Shouhed, a 79-year-old U.S. citizen and owner of Valley Car Wash in Van Nuys, California, was physically assaulted by immigration agents during a September 9, 2025 raid on his business. When Shouhed questioned the operation and attempted to vouch for employees being arrested, masked agents forced him to the ground. Surveillance footage shows an agent striking him while three agents tackled him as he pleaded for an ambulance, stating he had recently undergone heart surgery and couldn't breathe. One agent pressed a knee on his neck while applying additional physical force. The incident resulted in broken ribs, an injured elbow, and post-concussive symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. Shouhed was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center and held for 12 hours without medical attention before being released without charges. He filed a $50 million civil rights lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Timeline
Sources
- 79-year-old US citizen claims ICE agents body-slammed him at his business, seeks $50M
- 79-year-old US citizen injured in Los Angeles immigration raid files $50 million claim
Associated Press·Sep 26, 2025·archived copy
- More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
ProPublica·Oct 16, 2025·archived copy
- CBS News
- 79-Year-Old Sues ICE, DHS for Slamming Him to the Ground During Raid: 'I Thought This Was a Nice Country'
latintimes.com·Sep 26, 2025·archived copy
- Video US citizen claims ICE agents body-slammed him
- programming.dev
- WCNC
- 79-year-old U.S. citizen injured in Los Angeles immigration raid files US$50 million claim
ctvnews.ca·Sep 27, 2025·archived copy
- CourtListener
- Car wash owner files $50m suit for being body slammed in ICE raid
independent.co.uk·Sep 26, 2025·archived copy
- Van Nuys car wash owner, 80, files million lawsuit claiming ICE caused serious injuries during a raid.
medianewssource.com·May 22, 2026·archived copy
- A 79-year-old U.S. citizen has filed civil rights claims against the federal government for $50 million after being injured during an ICE raid at his business.
- 79-year-old man sues feds for $50 million over immigration raid injuries
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