Alabama concrete worker Leo Garcia Venegas isn’t waiting around. His experience led him to file a class-action lawsuit in federal court after two detentions by immigration agents in just a few weeks. The 34-year-old U.S. citizen works as a concrete slab layer, an occupation on the U.S. He does not mince words as he condemns these incidents and their pattern as unconstitutional, illegal, an infringement on his rights.
In May, Venegas was arrested during a raid on the construction site he labored on. He produced his Alabama-issued Real ID driver’s license and demanded to be recognized as a citizen. Even so, immigration agents tackled him to the ground and a coworker recorded the shocking encounter on video. They held him for over an hour, but on an eventual release, they charged him with literally nothing. Less than a month later, Venegas was detained again at another construction site. He was able to show his ID quickly enough that they let him go within 20-30 minutes.
Venegas’s legal team claims that immigration enforcement tactics specifically target workers who appear Latino, while other employees are often overlooked. They contend that these actions are unconstitutional infringements upon their liberties. This extends even to those like Venegas, who have legal residency in the United States.
“Immigration officers are not above the law,” said Jaba Tsitsuashvili, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, representing Venegas.
As detailed in his lawsuit, Venegas is calling for an end to workplace raids that disproportionately target industries with a majority immigrant workforce. He expressed frustration about the recurring threat of detention, stating, “It feels like there is nothing I can do to stop immigration agents from arresting me whenever they want.”
Venegas reaffirmed that immigration enforcement should be based solely on a person’s legal status. It should never be determined by immutable characteristics such as skin color or ethnic background.
“What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the US – NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity,” said Tricia McLaughlin of the law firm representing Venegas.
Rather than advance the public interest, Venegas’s lawsuit focuses on his own problems with the system. It addresses key civil rights and workplace safety concerns for all of Alabama’s workers. He stated his desire for a peaceful work environment, asserting, “I just want to work in peace. The constitution protects my ability to do that.”
This case has the potential to severely curtail local immigration enforcement practices across the country. Second, it could set a powerful new standard for the treatment of legal workers in their own workplaces. As Venegas continues to pursue justice in the courts, the nation is watching closely to see what happens next.