Venegas: 'Americans cannot be stopped and held ... when they are doing nothing wrong'
Leo Garcia VenegasPlaintiff; construction worker
After the court denied the government's motion to dismiss his lawsuit, plaintiff Leo Garcia Venegas said Americans should not be detained by law enforcement without cause and welcomed the case moving forward.
“Americans cannot be stopped and held by law enforcement when they are doing nothing wrong. I'm glad my case is moving forward, and I hope it can make lasting change.”
Official statement
Other statements by Leo Garcia Venegas in this case
Every statement by Leo Garcia Venegas
Where this statement fits
Did DHS violate the Fourth Amendment with warrantless immigration raids on Alabama construction sites?
Leo Garcia Venegas, a U.S. citizen construction worker in Baldwin County, Alabama, was detained by ICE agents at private construction sites three times between May 2025 and May 2026, each time after presenting a valid Alabama REAL ID that agents did not accept as proof of citizenship. Venegas and the Institute for Justice sued DHS in September 2025, challenging warrantless entry onto private construction sites, preemptive detention without individualized suspicion, and continued detention after workers produce citizenship evidence. DHS disputes that these practices exist as policy, argues Venegas lacks standing because he does not own the worksites, and contends REAL IDs are not reliable proof of citizenship. On September 21, 2026, Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock issued a temporary stay blocking all three challenged practices while the case proceeds; the litigation is ongoing.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Institute for Justice press release on Judge Beaverstock's September 3, 2026 denial of the government's motion to dismiss, with quotes from Venegas and IJ senior attorney Jared McClain.
Before the quotation
Judge Beaverstock rejected the government's motion to dismiss on September 3, 2026, allowing Venegas's Fourth Amendment claims against DHS's construction-site enforcement practices to proceed.
After the quotation
The Institute for Justice said the ruling was an important first step toward proving the alleged Fourth Amendment violations at trial.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Venegas's statement condemns being 'stopped and held' by law enforcement 'when doing nothing wrong,' directly criticizing the DHS detention practices challenged in the case as unjustified.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseJared McClain welcomed the stay of DHS's construction-site practices as restoring the rule of law, rejecting warrantless entry, blanket detention and refusal to credit identification
“a huge blow to DHS’s lawless enforcement practices”Read statement
Jared McClain condemned the challenged construction-site practices as Fourth Amendment violations and welcomed the opportunity to prove the claims after the case survived dismissal
“these violations of the Fourth Amendment”Read statement
DHS spokesperson defends construction-site enforcement, calls Venegas suit 'race-baiting opportunism'
“DHS law enforcement uses 'reasonable suspicion' to make arrests. What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S. — NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity.”Read statement
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- Venegas: 'Americans cannot be stopped and held ... when they are doing nothing wrong'
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The Dispute Index. "Venegas: 'Americans cannot be stopped and held ... when they are doing nothing wrong'". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2235-after-the-court-denied-the-government-s-motion