US Citizen Detained by ICE and Told His REAL ID Is 'Fake' [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Published May 24, 2025 at 12:01 PM EDT | Updated May 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM EDT
Leonardo García Venegas, a Florida-born U.S. citizen with a REAL ID, was forcibly arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at an Alabama construction site after agents claimed his identification was "fake," Venegas told Noticias Telemundo in Spanish on Friday.
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Newsweek on Saturday morning that "there was no mistake" during the encounter, stating that Venegas "attempted to obstruct and prevent the lawful arrest of an illegal alien," thereby leading to his arrest. Newsweek reached out to ICE for comment via email on Sunday. Newsweek also reached out to Venegas' cousin, Shelah Venegas, via Facebook Messenger for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Venegas' arrest comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, during which people with valid documentation—including green cards or visas—have been detained and face legal jeopardy. In April, President Donald Trump floated the idea of deporting U.S. citizens with violent criminal records to El Salvador.
Trump campaigned on a hardline immigration stance, pledging to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. In the initial months of his presidency, his administration has deported around 100,000 illegal immigrants, many due to his invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which grants the president authority to deport non-citizens without appearing before a judge, among other wartime authorities. As of May 7, travelers need a REAL ID license or other specific state accepted identifications or passports to board federally regulated commercial aircraft and access certain federal facilities.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/us-citizen-detained-ice-told-his-real-id-fake-2076724
So even if you have "papers", they can be declared "fake" and you get "disappeared".
From a NBC News article -
May 23, 2025, 5:42 PM EDT / Updated May 23, 2025, 6:50 PM EDT
By Suzanne Gamboa
(snip)
Garcia told Noticias Telemundo that authorities took his ID from his wallet and told him it was fake before handcuffing him. REAL ID is the identification U.S. citizens are required by law to have in order to travel through airports and enter federal buildings. It is considered a higher security form of identification.
"Apparently a REAL ID is not valid anymore. He has a REAL ID," his cousin Shelah Venegas said. "We all made sure we have the REAL ID and went through the protocols the administration is asking for. ... He has his REAL ID and then they see him and I guess because his English isn't fluent and/or because he's brown it's fake, it's not real."
Garcia had told Noticias Telemundo that "they grabbed me real bad" and the handcuffs were placed "very hard" on him.
Garcia said he was released from the vehicle where he was held after he gave the arresting officials his Social Security number, which showed he is a U.S. citizen.
(snip)
= new reply since forum marked as read