Arrests of U.S. Citizens by Trump's ICE Under Suspicion of Falsified REAL ID Cards
A Florida-born U.S. citizen was arrested by immigration enforcement agents for supposedly possessing a forged REAL ID, reports Noticias Telemundo. The incident occurred during President Trump's tenure, with federal agents alleging that Leonardo Garcia Venegas' ID was fake while he was working on a construction site in Foley, Alabama.
On Wednesday, agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrived at Garcia Venegas' construction job. Before his arrest, he told NBC News that he had pulled out his phone; an ICE agent seized it, and another agent detained him.
"I am a citizen!" he shouted in a video recording.
"He's a citizen, old man!" exclaimed a bystander.
Garcia Venegas, whose parents are Mexican immigrants, told Noticias Telemundo that the immigration authorities claimed his REAL ID was forged. They held him in a vehicle while he provided them with his Social Security number. Hours later, he was released.
"They took my wallet, my ID," he said to the Outlet in Spanish. "They said it was fake. They said it wasn't valid and that it was forged. My ID... They handcuffed me, very tightly."
"I feel really sad, honestly, and I feel a little nervous because of everything that happened," he said.
ICE has detained and deported thousands of individuals, in line with Trump's xenophobic campaign promises. U.S. citizens have also been deported, including at least two children with cancer. Trump has antagonized judges by deporting people to infamous prisons in El Salvador. This week, he deported two Asian immigrants to South Sudan, violating a court order.
Garcia Venegas' cousin, Shelah Venegas, told NBC News that he returned home surprised, in pain, and with handcuff marks.
"Apparently, a REAL ID is no longer valid. He has a REAL ID," she said. "We ensured we had the REAL ID and followed the DMV's requirements... He has his REAL ID, and then they see him, and I think, because his English isn't fluent or because he's brown, it's fake, it's not real."
A REAL ID is an identification card used for air travel and access to federal buildings. It has higher federal security standards than a driver's license. A rule came into effect this month that passengers at airports need a REAL ID or a passport.
ICE also arrested Garcia Venegas' brother, who was illegally residing in the country. He reportedly signed deportation papers to avoid a similar ordeal experienced by another family member, who spent months in a detention center.
Tricia McLaughlin, the deputy DHS secretary, told NBC News that Garcia Venegas resisted multiple verbal commands from the law enforcement officers while in a physical struggle with them and the subject they were attempting to arrest. "Anyone who actively obstructs the law enforcement authorities in the performance of their sworn duties, including U.S. citizens, will undoubtedly face consequences, including arrest," she said.
Venegas' family owns a construction business, and some people are reluctant to work in the current political climate.
"It's just crazy that we can't be anything but the color we are. We contribute just as much to the country as any other citizen with our taxes," she said. "But we have to be the ones who every time we go to work, have to worry about being discriminated against."
[1] Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.). REAL ID. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.dhs.gov/real-id[3] Transportation Security Administration. (n.d.). Real ID. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification[4] The Chicago Tribune. (2021, March 30). REAL ID deadline postponed to October 2021 due to pandemic. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-trump-real-id-extension-deadline-20210330-dj6m573qufbkq3pt46tz2r75y4-story.html
- In the midst of current general-news and politics, the validity of REAL IDs has become a topic of contention, as demonstrated by the recent arrest of a Florida-born U.S. citizen, Leonardo Garcia Venegas, who was working on a construction site in Alabama.
- The actuell discussion surrounding the REAL ID card, which is now mandatory for air travel and access to federal buildings, has ignited concerns about discrimination, as evidenced by Garcia Venegas' arrest, despite possessing a valid REAL ID.
