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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran, has publicly disputed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) characterization of his arrest by federal agents in July.
Why It Matters
Retes was detained by immigration agenda during a federal enforcement operation at a Camarillo cannabis farm in California on July 10, according to DHS. Retes, who says he was on his way to work, described being detained for three days without charges, access to an attorney or contact with his family. He described the encounter and its aftermath in an opinion piece for the San Francisco Chronicle and a newsletter. In a post on his newsletter and an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle, he said ICE officers used tear gas, broke his car window, and applied physical force, including kneeling on him, while he complied with their instructions.
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What To Know
DHS issued a statement claiming that Retes became violent, refused to comply with officers and obstructed their path, leading to his arrest for assault. The agency said that U.S. citizens are not wrongfully arrested.
Retes has disputed DHS’s account, slamming the agency for its treatment of a veteran and U.S. citizen.
Retes has said the DHS characterization “ignores reality” and amounts to demonization of people who challenge government actions. He told readers he had filed claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) against federal agencies related to what he described as wrongful detention and use of excessive force.
"DHS’s statement ignores reality and is designed to demonize and villainize people who don’t let the government trample over their rights, and aren’t afraid to speak the truth," Retes wrote in an op-ed on Home of the Brave.
Retes has said he complied with officers’ directions at the scene and that he identified himself as a U.S. citizen and a veteran while attempting to reach his security guard job. He wrote that agents did not verify his identification before detaining him and that he missed family events while in custody.
What People Are Saying
“Every time Homeland Security is caught doing something bad, the response is not to own it but to sell the public a bill of goods,” said IJ Attorney Marie Miller. “Thankfully we still have the judiciary in this country. And George has reality on his side.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: “George Retes was arrested and has been released. He has not been charged. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is reviewing his case, along with dozens of others, for potential federal charges related to the execution of the federal search warrant in Camarillo.”
DHS wrote in a press release: "George Retes—a U.S. citizen—became violent and refused to comply with law enforcement. He challenged agents and blocked their route by refusing to move his vehicle out of the road. CBP arrested Retes for assault."
Retes wrote in an op-ed on Home of the Brave: "First, I was not violent, I simply asked the officers to let me pass through because I needed to get to work; and I also complied with ICE’s demands by backing up my car. Second, the statement ignores the three days I spent in federal custody with no charges, no phone call to my family, no access to a judge or an attorney, no shower, and no explanation for their actions. It is deeply troubling that a government agency would publicly deny these facts while portraying my experience as a threat or attack on officers."
What Happens Next
The parties disagree on key facts: Retes asserts unlawful detention without process and physical mistreatment, while DHS maintains agents acted in response to obstruction or violence. No criminal charges have been publicly reported in connection with Retes’s detention. The dispute has drawn attention to practices during immigration enforcement operations.
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