- Mayor Karen Bass and congressional Democrats launched investigations into ICE and DHS after reports that immigration raids wrongly detained over 170 U.S. citizens.
- Allegations include racial profiling, brutal tactics, and prolonged detentions, prompting demands for records, training details, and hearings in Los Angeles.
In a bold move to address growing concerns over civil rights violations, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and congressional Democrats have unveiled plans for comprehensive investigations into the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, which have reportedly led to the wrongful detention of more than 170 U.S. citizens.
These actions, criticized as terrorizing communities and involving racial profiling, have sparked outrage in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and beyond.
The announcement came during a press conference at L.A. City Hall on Monday, where Bass and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, detailed the scope of the probes.
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Garcia emphasized the severity of the issue, stating, “Donald Trump and Kristi Noem are terrorizing immigrants, working people, the people of Los Angeles and of our state every single day. They violate the law and they violate the constitution.”
The investigations will scrutinize “every single brutal misconduct” committed by immigration authorities in Los Angeles and nationwide, according to Garcia.
This includes a House committee probe into arrests of U.S. citizens by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, as well as a broader examination of immigration raids.
Concurrently, the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led by Ranking Member Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), will delve into reports of at least 170 U.S. citizens being detained— a figure uncovered by a recent ProPublica investigation.
ProPublica’s in-depth analysis, drawing from social media, lawsuits, court records, and local reports, paints a harrowing picture of these detentions.
Over the first nine months of President Trump’s second term, more than 170 citizens were held during raids and protests.
Among them: nearly 20 children, including two battling cancer; four citizens detained for weeks alongside their undocumented mother without attorney access until congressional intervention; and over 50 Americans, mostly Latino, questioned about their citizenship.
Additionally, about 130 citizens, including a dozen elected officials, faced arrests for allegedly interfering with or assaulting officers—though charges were dropped or dismissed in nearly 50 cases.
Army Vet Pepper-Sprayed, Disabled in Raid
Specific incidents highlight the alleged brutality.
George Retes, a disabled U.S. Army veteran from Southern California who served in Iraq, was detained for three days during a raid on a marijuana farm where he worked as a security guard.
Agents reportedly broke his car window, pepper-sprayed him, and threw him to the ground, causing injuries.
Held incommunicado, Retes missed his daughter’s third birthday, and his family struggled to locate him until spotting him in a viral TikTok video.
He was released without charges.
Retes later said agents knew he was a citizen but “didn’t care,” adding that a DHS official laughed and told him he shouldn’t have come to work that day.
Another case involves Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a 25-year-old U.S. citizen of Mexican descent, detained twice during construction site raids in Alabama.
Despite presenting his REAL ID—available only to citizens and legal residents—agents dismissed it as fake, handcuffed him for over an hour, and twisted his arms.
“I’m a citizen!” he yelled during one incident.
Traumatized, Venegas took two weeks off work and filed a federal lawsuit, stating, “If they decide they want to detain you, you’re not going to get out of it.”
Other accounts include a 79-year-old car wash owner with recent heart surgery who suffered broken ribs after being tackled and kneeled on during a raid; a pregnant woman detained after fainting during a home invasion-style operation attended by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; and Andrea Velez, held for over two days without water for 24 hours after being caught in a street vendor raid.
At least three pregnant citizens were detained, and more than two dozen were held for over a day without phone access to lawyers or family.
Racial Profiling Targets Latinos in L.A.
These patterns have raised alarms about racial profiling, particularly targeting Latinos.
In a joint letter sent Monday to Secretary Noem, Garcia and Blumenthal wrote, “Troublingly, the pattern of U.S. Citizen arrests coincides with an alarming increase in racial profiling — particularly of Latinos — which has been well documented in Los Angeles.”
They added, “In a pattern symptomatic of a disregard for civil rights by DHS, U.S. citizens have faced extended periods of detention.”
The letter demands detailed information by November 3, including the total number of detained U.S. citizens since January 20, 2025; lists of those held over 24 hours with rationales; descriptions of agent training on citizenship verification, counterfeit documents, and use of force; and all related records, complaints, policies, and procedures.
It notes that cities with Democratic leadership, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, have been disproportionately targeted.
Mayor Bass underscored the broader implications, saying, “This can happen to anyone, to all of us, at any period of time.”
She highlighted how the arrests of American citizens signal that no one is safe under these policies.
Garcia announced that the House committee’s first hearing will be held in Los Angeles, urging residents to attend and share their experiences.
While no specific date was provided, he expressed hope for a swift timeline.
Experts and advocates have weighed in on the controversy.
ACLU attorney Cody Wofsy stated, “Any one of us could be next.”
UCLA law professor Joanna Schwartz noted the lack of guardrails against federal overreach, while Cato Institute’s David Bier warned that demographic targeting could extend to any context.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin denied arresting citizens for immigration enforcement, and White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson defended officers, saying, “Interfering with law enforcement and assaulting law enforcement is a crime and anyone, regardless of immigration status, will be held accountable.”
However, the White House and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the investigations.
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