U.S. citizens detained unlawfully by immigration agents – NBC Los Angeles

A new U.S. Senate report released Tuesday alleged that U.S. citizens, including several Americans in Southern California, were unlawfully detained by federal immigration agents during recent enforcement operations.

The “Unchecked Authority” report outlined nearly two dozen cases between June and November.

Five of the citizens who dealt with immigration agents testified before Congress Tuesday, challenging repeated claims by the Department of Homeland Security that no such detentions have occurred.

Andrea Velez, a U.S. citizen who was taken into custody in early June during an operation in downtown Los Angeles, shared her harrowing experience as she told the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that agents grabbed her pm on her way to work.

“I kept saying I was a U.S. citizen,” Velez, who said she used her work bag to fight against an agent, testified Tuesday. “They got my Real ID. They didn’t care. They never even bothered looking at it. They just kept saying I was an alleged U.S. citizen.”

Velez was charged with assaulting an agent, but those charges were later dropped by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Javier Ramirez, who was detained in Montebello, shared his story with the Senate subcommittee, saying he hoped that no more U.S. citizens are arrested during ICE operations.

“What happened to me shouldn’t happen to anyone else as a citizen. I don’t want it to happen to my family or my kids as well,” Ramirez said.

The bipartisan forum also heard from Californian and Iraq combat veteran George Retes, who was detained during a raid at his job site.

“I served my country. I wore the uniform,” he said. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to any one of us.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), who heads the subcommittee, said the accounts contradict statements from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has repeatedly insisted no U.S. citizens were swept up in immigration actions.

“ICE does not arrest U.S. citizens. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.—NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity,” the DHS said in a statement. “DHS law enforcement uses “reasonable suspicion” to make arrests … The Supreme Court recently vindicated us on this question. DHS enforces federal immigration law without fear, favor, or prejudice.”

The department also said the arrests were based solely on immigration status under the Fourth Amendment’s “reasonable suspicion” standard.”

The DHS also insists the Supreme Court recently affirmed its enforcement authority.