Overview
- George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Iraq War veteran, has filed a lawsuit in the Central District of California after completing the Federal Tort Claims Act process, alleging civil-rights and due‑process violations.
- Retes attended President Trump’s State of the Union as the guest of Rep. Mark Takano, who said his story highlights what he called overreach in immigration enforcement.
- Department of Homeland Security officials assert Retes became violent and was arrested for assault, a claim disputed by Retes and local footage; he was released after about 72 hours without charges.
- Retes says agents tear‑gassed and pepper‑sprayed him, broke his car window, restrained him, collected biometrics at a Navy facility, and then held him on suicide watch without calls or counsel.
- Reporting by ProPublica and a Senate Democrats review identified more than 170 U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents, and Retes’s attorneys say his suit faces steep immunity hurdles that could push the case to higher courts.