Judge Weighs Whether Lawsuit Over Repeated Immigration Detentions of U.S. Citizen Can Proceed

Leo Venegas, a U.S. citizen born in Florida, faces a federal judge’s decision on whether his lawsuit against the government for multiple wrongful detentions can proceed. Venegas’ attorneys say he was detained three times by immigration officers in Baldwin County, Alabama—twice during immigration raids at construction sites and once after a traffic stop triggered by a license plate registered to his undocumented brother.

Each time, Venegas was handcuffed and shackled despite showing his REAL ID, an identification only issued to people legally in the country. His lawyer, Jared McClain, describes the detentions as baseless and humiliating, pointing to a broader pattern of immigration enforcement targeting Latino construction workers in the area.

“In both instances, they had no idea who he was and hadn’t seen him do anything wrong, and they detained him,” McClain said. During the most recent incident, officers followed Venegas home, forcibly removed him from the vehicle, and subjected him to a canine sniff—all without probable cause.

The lawsuit argues these repeated detentions violate Venegas’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures and challenge what the legal team calls discriminatory enforcement policies. Federal government attorneys deny such policies exist and argue the case should be dismissed because Venegas allegedly lacks legal standing.

McClain counters that the pattern of construction site raids and repeated detentions clearly harms Venegas, making dismissal premature. The judge has yet to rule on whether the case will proceed. The government declined to comment after the hearing.

This case spotlights ongoing abuses in immigration enforcement where lawful residents and citizens face harassment and detention based on racial profiling and aggressive immigration tactics. It raises urgent questions about government overreach and civil rights protections under the Trump-era immigration crackdown.