• A U.S. citizen and veteran was arrested during an immigration raid in California.
• George Retes reported being mistreated and detained for three days without charges.
• The incident highlights growing tensions over immigration enforcement in the state.

George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran and security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, California, was arrested during a federal immigration raid on July 10. Retes alleged that federal agents surrounded his vehicle, broke his window, and sprayed him with tear gas and pepper spray, despite him identifying as a U.S. citizen. He was taken into custody and held for three days without being informed of any charges against him, missing his daughter’s birthday during his detention, according to Reuters, Newsweek, and HuffPost.

The immigration raid at which Retes was detained was part of a larger crackdown initiated by the Trump administration. This operation has heightened tensions in California, particularly among immigrant communities. Retes described the arrest tactics as brutal, stating that “it took two officers to kneel on my back and one on my neck to arrest me, even though my hands were already behind my back.” His claims reflect concerns over the aggressive methods employed by federal authorities during these operations, as over 360 individuals were reported detained during similar raids, according to Newsweek and Reuters.

Retes was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where he reported being placed under suicide watch. He experienced physical discomfort due to not being allowed to clean his sprayed clothing or take a shower during his incarceration. He expressed his distress, sharing that the ordeal affected him emotionally and he was not permitted to contact his family or a lawyer during his detention, according to Reuters and HuffPost.

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the raids, describing the situation as chaotic and indicative of a broader disregard for rights, stating, “People are quite literally disappearing with no due process, no rights.” The federal government has faced backlash regarding its focus on aggressively enforcing immigration laws, often involving citizens in the process. Retes plans to sue for wrongful detention, emphasizing, “No one deserves to be treated the way they treat people,” he articulated during a press conference covered by Newsweek and HuffPost.