U.S. Citizen (With REAL ID) Cuffed, Detained By ICE

A U.S.-born citizen was wrestled into the dirt, handcuffed and detained as part of an immigration raid even though he had a REAL ID on him. The ICE agents dismissed his ID as “fake.” REAL ID is the identification U.S. citizens are required by law to have in order to travel through airports and enter federal buildings. It is considered a higher security form of identification. Leonardo Garcia Venegas, 25, was at a job site in Foley, Alabama, on Wednesday when immigration officers grabbed him. In video footage, a voice could be heard off-camera yelling, “He’s a citizen.” Garcia told Noticias Telemundo that authorities took his ID from his wallet and told him it was fake before handcuffing him.

The man told Noticias Telemundo that authorities took his ID from his wallet and told him it was fake before handcuffing him. [image or embed]

— NBC News (@nbcnews.com) May 23, 2025 at 4:15 PM

From NBC News:

“Apparently a REAL ID is not valid anymore. He has a REAL ID,” his cousin Shelah Venegas said. “We all made sure we have the REAL ID and went through the protocols the administration is asking for. … He has his REAL ID and then they see him and I guess because his English isn’t fluent and/or because he’s brown it’s fake, it’s not real.”

Garcia had told Noticias Telemundo that “they grabbed me real bad” and the handcuffs were placed “very hard” on him.

Garcia said he was released from the vehicle where he was held after he gave the arresting officials his Social Security number, which showed he is a U.S. citizen.

The Department of Homeland Security told NBC News that Garcia “interfered with an arrest during a targeted worksite operation.” But Garcia disputes that characterization saying he was trying to take out his phone when an ICE agent grabbed it, threw it to the ground, and it was then that he was wrestled to the ground and cuffed.

Interview with Leonardo García Venegas—U.S. citizen arrested at Alabama construction on video. (with subtitles)

ICE agents took his REAL ID from his wallet—but told him it was fake & handcuffed him. “It’s about race now. It’s not about whether you are here legally or not.”… pic.twitter.com/vVCy3Zv7zQ — LongTimeFirstTime‍ (@LongTimeHistory) May 23, 2025