Earning an honest living is fundamental to being an American. What’s deeply un-American is the government using masked agents to harass hard-working Americans at work. […]
ij.org
Innocent CITIZEN Arrested TWICE by ICE
Sep 30, 2025
Leo is an American citizen born to Mexican national parents. Like so many others in his south Alabama community, he works in construction. Baldwin County, where he lives, has grown quickly in recent years. For Leo, that growth presents an exciting opportunity: A chance to work hard to help meet the demand for new housing. But the federal government sees a different opportunity in the housing boom: a target for its “mass deportation” campaign.
In early 2025, federal agents—often masked and always armed—began raiding private construction sites in Alabama. The raids follow a common pattern: Agents enter private properties—even areas that are posted, fenced, or enclosed—without warrants. Then, they seize all workers who appear Latino—even citizens who have done nothing wrong. This all happened to Leo, not once, but twice.
In May, masked agents ran past a “no trespassing” sign onto a property where Leo was working to detain everybody who appeared Latino (ignoring others). Leo told them he was a citizen, yet they still tackled and handcuffed him. Even after seeing his REAL ID—which Alabama only issues to lawful residents—they kept Leo tightly handcuffed for an hour.
Then, in June, it happened again. Agents walked inside a house where Leo was working, surrounded him, and ordered him to follow them. Again, Leo produced his REAL ID. Again, the agents refused to accept it. They marched him out of the development and detained him alongside other workers they had grabbed—only releasing him (and other lawful residents) 20 minutes later after confirming his citizenship.
All Leo ever did was show up at work. And for that, he was assaulted and detained. Enough is enough. These federal raids violate the Fourth Amendment and exceed immigration officers’ legal powers. So, Leo has partnered with the Institute for Justice to file a federal class-action lawsuit to put a stop to them. He’s also seeking damages for the violations he suffered. Because if Americans must follow the law, our government must be held accountable when it violates the Constitution.
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