Venegas says the court's stay lets him work without fear of arrest for no reason
Leo Garcia VenegasU.S. citizen and plaintiff challenging DHS practices
Plaintiff Leo Garcia Venegas said in an Institute for Justice release that, after the court's stay, he would be able to go to work without worrying that he would be arrested for no reason. The release said the court stayed three DHS policies while his case continues.
“For the first time in a long time, I will be able to go to work without worrying that I will be arrested for no reason.”
Official statement
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
Jared 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.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The Institute for Justice quoted Venegas in its announcement of the September 21 temporary stay against the challenged DHS practices.
After the quotation
The release also said Venegas has submitted claims to federal agencies announcing his intent to sue under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether DHS's construction-site practices were lawful and justified or unconstitutional. Venegas, who says he was detained under those practices three times, says that with the stay he can go to work without worrying that he will be "arrested for no reason", which describes the stayed practices as arbitrary arrests. We labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is a statement of personal relief that takes no position on the practices; it loses because he ties the risk of arrest to the policies the court stayed.
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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
Venegas: 'Americans cannot be stopped and held ... when they are doing nothing wrong'
“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.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Venegas says the court's stay lets him work without fear of arrest for no reason". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4946-plaintiff-leo-garcia-venegas-said-in-an-institute