politics
U.S. Citizen Detained Briefly by ICE During Stop of Truck Registered to Illegal Alien
Leo Garcia Venegas was pulled from his truck, tackled and shackled in front of his Silverhill, Alabama home on May 2 2026. The incident marks his third detention by federal officers since 2025 even though he presented identification as a U.S. citizen. Venegas is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice challenging DHS immigration enforcement policies.
May 12, 11:28 AM·3m read2 sources
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Leo Garcia Venegas was detained for the third time on May 2 2026 in Silverhill, Alabama. An unmarked SUV blocked him while he was parking in front of his house that morning. Two federal ICE officers pulled him out of the truck he was driving and handcuffed him before he could hand them his Alabama-issued REAL ID, according to a declaration he filed in federal court.
The officers tackled Leo Garcia Venegas to the ground and shackled him around both arms and legs. He was detained for roughly 15 minutes. ICE officers then verified his identity using DHS technology and released him.
In his May 4 2026 declaration, Leo Garcia Venegas stated the officers did not ask him a single question or issue any lawful commands before pulling him out of the car. "At no point prior to physically detaining me did the officers ask me any questions about my identity, my citizenship, or my immigration status," the declaration said.
He added that the officers did not listen when he said he was a citizen and showed no interest in looking at his Alabama STAR ID even though he had it in his hand.
Leo Garcia Venegas had been driving his brother's old truck since late April 2026 because his own truck broke down. The plates remained registered in his brother's name. U.S. citizen and construction worker in Alabama.
The incident is the latest in a series of detentions for Leo Garcia Venegas. U.S. citizen and presenting a REAL ID. Leo Garcia Venegas is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against DHS filed in October 2025 by the Institute for Justice.
