US Citizen Wrongfully Arrested by ICE in Alabama

Foley, Alabama, May 21, 2025 – A disturbing incident unfolded Wednesday morning at a construction site in Foley, Alabama, when ICE agents arrested Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a 25-year-old American citizen born in Florida. The arrest was captured on video and shows officers forcefully subduing and handcuffing Venegas despite his repeated claims of citizenship. "They took my wallet, my ID," Venegas recounted in an interview, "and they told me my documents were fake." Four other workers were also arrested during the operation, including Venegas’s 34-year-old brother, who is undocumented. Venegas’s cousin, Shelah Venegas, expressed fear for her family's safety and the implications of this incident. "It's terrifying," she said, "that this can happen to someone who is a US citizen." While Venegas was released hours later, the incident raises serious questions about the procedures and potential for error in ICE operations. The video evidence and eyewitness accounts have sparked outrage and calls for a thorough investigation into the incident.