US Citizen Seeks $1M After Detention Filming LA Immigration Raid

Job Garcia, a U.S. citizen, photographer, and doctoral student, is suing the Trump administration for $1 million after being detained and physically restrained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents while filming an immigration raid at a Home Depot in Los Angeles. MALDEF, a Latino civil rights organization representing Garcia, alleges that agents tackled him, knelt on his back and neck, and detained him for over 24 hours without probable cause or warning to stop recording, claiming his arrest was racially motivated and violated his constitutional rights to free speech and protection against unreasonable search and seizure. The incident occurred amid a nationwide increase in immigration raids, particularly at Home Depot locations, following directives from the Trump administration to escalate arrests, which sparked large protests in Los Angeles and a political clash between the state and federal government. DHS officials disputed MALDEF's claims, stating Garcia assaulted an agent, but Garcia and MALDEF maintain he was exercising his rights and was punished for exposing government misconduct. The lawsuit, filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, also cites economic and personal injury damages and emphasizes the broader implications for civil rights amidst aggressive immigration enforcement policies. The case highlights tensions between government immigration crackdowns and citizens' rights to document and protest such actions.