February 20, 2026 - LOS ANGELES - By Andrew Wimer - Last July, George Retes, a U.S. citizen and Iraq combat veteran, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies for three days and three nights. During that time, he was denied access to an attorney, was not allowed to shower or make a phone call, was not presented to a judge, and was put in an isolation cell. He missed his daughter’s third birthday. He was never charged with a crime. 

Related Content: George Retes Federal Officer Accountability

U.S. citizens cannot be detained for immigration violations, and the government presumptively may not hold people for more than two days without a probable-cause hearing. Now, after a federal agency rejected his claims for unlawful detention, George has sued to vindicate his rights with the help of the Institute for Justice (IJ), a non-profit public interest law firm.

Complaint HERE.

“I’m calling out the federal government because nobody should be above the law,” said George. “I’m continuing to fight for this country, now as a civilian.”

George was on his way to his security guard job at a Southern California farm when he encountered an ICE roadblock, along with protesters and observers. Not wanting to be penalized for missing work, he asked agents to let him pass. They denied his request. As protestors and agents clashed, George’s car became engulfed in tear gas.  

An officer broke George’s car window. Another pepper sprayed him. Agents dragged him out of his car and forced him to the ground. One officer put a knee on George’s neck. Another knelt on George’s back, even though he was not resisting. 

Without checking George’s ID, federal agents detained George, first at the farm, then at a nearby navy base, and then to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, where he was held for three days and nights. George pleaded for an explanation of why he was being detained and told them that he didn’t want to miss his daughter’s third birthday. 

George’s pleas were met with silence. He was not given a shower to wash off the chemical irritants covering his body, a hearing before a judge, a phone call to family, or any access to an attorney. On the second day, George was placed on suicide watch in an isolated cell. While George’s family searched for him frantically, he remained locked in a cell, incommunicado without any explanation of alleged wrongdoing. 

He was released with no apology and no charges. Not only was the harrowing experience traumatizing, but he lost work and missed his daughter’s party.

“John Adams famously said that we are a nation of laws, not of men,” said IJ Attorney Marie Miller. “That is not true if federal agents can strip Americans like George of their rights without consequence. George’s claims seek accountability—from the officers and the federal government.”

Today’s lawsuit was filed against the United States government, which employs the Federal Bureau of Prisons officers at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center where George was held. George also filed claims with other agencies responsible for his arrest and detention: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Navy, and the FBI. Should these agencies fail to grant George’s administrative claims, claims against the United States government will be added to the suit for those officer’s unlawful conduct. George’s lawsuit also seeks to hold the individual officials accountable for his detention directly under the U.S. Constitution and under California law.

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) was created to allow people to sue the federal government when they are harmed by federal employees. The law was amended by Congress in 1974 to explicitly permit suits for false arrest and other law enforcement abuses.

The FTCA requires plaintiffs, before filing their claims in court, to first submit claims to the responsible federal agencies. Only once the federal agencies deny those claims, either expressly or implicitly by taking no action within six months, can a victim enter the courthouse door.

IJ recently won at the Supreme Court on behalf of an Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by an FBI SWAT team. The Court revived all the lawsuit’s claims and the Martin family will have an opportunity to argue that their FTCA suit does not fall into one of the law’s exceptions. IJ also filed a lawsuit on behalf of an Arizona grandmother erroneously arrested by U.S. Marshals.

“Snatching people off the street and holding them incommunicado for no good reason is unlawful in multiple ways,” said IJ Senior Attorney Patrick Jaicomo. “If we want law and order, then the laws must be enforced when they are broken by federal officers. Victims must be given some remedy when their constitutional rights have been trampled by those holding a badge.” 

Through its Project on Immunity and Accountability, IJ seeks to ensure that every right guaranteed by the Constitution has a remedy in an American court. And through its Project on the Fourth Amendment, IJ seeks to protect our right to be secure in our persons and property. IJ recently won at the Supreme Court on behalf of an Atlanta family whose home was wrongly raided by an FBI SWAT team. The Court revived the lawsuit’s claims, and the family will have an opportunity to argue that their FTCA suit does not fall into one of the law’s exceptions. IJ also filed a lawsuit on behalf of an Arizona grandmother mistakenly arrested by U.S. Marshals. IJ also helped an Alabama construction worker file claims regarding the unconstitutional detentions he suffered while working on private sites.

Source: Institute for Justice