Alabama U.S. Citizen Sues Federal Government After Being Detained Three Times by ICE

MOBILE, AL — A federal judge in Mobile is weighing whether an Alabama construction worker and U.S. citizen can move forward with a lawsuit against the federal government following a series of detentions he describes as "wholly unreasonable." Leo Venegas, represented by the Institute for Justice, argues that federal immigration agents have repeatedly violated his Fourth Amendment rights through a pattern of warrantless and suspicionless "dragnet" raids.

The hearing held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, focused on whether Venegas has the legal standing to challenge what his attorneys call enforcement policies that specifically target Latino construction workers without probable cause.

A Pattern of Detentions

Venegas, who was born in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and has lived in Alabama since he was 14, has been detained three times by federal agents in approximately 12 months:

• May 2025: Agents raided a construction site in Foley, Alabama. Venegas was tackled to the ground and held in handcuffs for an hour, despite repeatedly shouting that he was a citizen.

• June 2025: While working alone inside a home in Fairhope, Venegas was cornered by armed agents and marched to a "lineup" at the edge of the development, where he was held for 30 minutes.

• May 2, 2026: Most recently, agents followed Venegas to his home from a convenience store. Because he was driving a truck registered to his brother—who had been deported following the first raid—Venegas was placed in leg shackles and held in a police cruiser while a canine unit searched his vehicle.

The Real ID Contention

The core of the legal complaint centers on the agents' alleged refusal to accept valid identification. Venegas carries an Alabama-issued REAL ID, a high-security driver's license that requires proof of citizenship or lawful presence to obtain.

According to his attorney, Jared McClain, agents in each instance dismissed the ID as "fake" or simply ignored it.

"In both [workplace] instances, they had no idea who he was, hadn't seen him do anything wrong, and they detained him," McClain said. "They put him in handcuffs; they drag him off the work site."

Federal Government Response

Attorneys for the federal government have moved to dismiss the case, arguing that the "unlawful policies" described by Venegas do not exist. They maintain that agents act within their statutory powers and that the detentions described were isolated incidents rather than a systemic policy of racial profiling.

However, McClain argues that the frequency of these raids in Baldwin County tells a different story. The lawsuit seeks to block federal agencies from entering private worksites without warrants and from detaining workers solely based on demographic profiles.

The judge has taken the arguments under advisement and is expected to issue a ruling on the motion to dismiss in the coming weeks. If the case proceeds, it could set a major precedent for Fourth Amendment protections during immigration enforcement actions.

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