Blumenthal & Robert Garcia Receive Firsthand Accounts of U.S. Citizens Assaulted, Illegally Detained by DHS

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), and U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, held a bicameral public forum to receive testimony from five U.S. citizens who have experienced unconstitutional detentions by agents of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The forum will also feature a video compilation of footage showing several of today’s witnesses during their encounters with immigration agents.

The following Americans shared their personal experiences being assaulted, detained, and denied their constitutional rights by DHS agents:

Wilmer Chavarria (Vermont): Mr. Chavarria, a school superintendent, was detained after returning to the U.S. from visiting family overseas, interrogated for hours, and had his personal and professional devices searched without his consent.

“When I held my US passport for the first time, I felt an enormous sense of pride and I was deeply inspired to give my new country the best of me, my talent, my work, and my dreams. I felt loved by my community and I believed with all my that the American Dream was me,” said Mr. Chavarria.

“If the goal is to make some citizens feel like they are of a second class, with only some of the rights but not others, then they have succeeded. But I choose to believe that the pendulum will swing the other way, and that our collective disgust for these abuses will catalyze into a powerful backlash against overreach.

Mr. Chavarria’s written testimony is available here.

Dayanne Figueroa (Illinois): Ms. Figueroa was sideswiped while driving to work and then violently pulled from her car by DHS agents; while detained for hours, she suffered internal trauma, having recently undergone two kidney surgeries weeks before the incident, as well as injuries to her wrists from being handcuffed.

“What happened to me that day was not an arrest. It was an assault and the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen. I was never arrested. Never charged. Never given an explanation. And never given an apology. But the damage is done and continues,” said Ms. Figueroa.

Ms. Figueroa’s written testimony is available here.

Javier Ramirez (California): Mr. Ramirez was violently assaulted by DHS agents and held for four days, where he was denied adequate treatment for diabetes, leading to severe complications.

“Today, I live with a constant shadow of anxiety, fearing that this could happen again – not just to me, but to my children and loved ones. The streets of my city, once a place of safety and comfort, have become tainted by the actions of those who should protect us,” said Mr. Ramirez.

“I share my story not just for myself, but for everyone who has been unjustly treated, for those whose voices have been silenced. We must stand together against this injustice and demand a change – a change that ensures safety, dignity, and respect for every individual, regardless of their background.”

Mr. Ramirez’s written testimony is available here.

George Retes (California): Mr. Retes is a U.S. Army veteran who was violently arrested and detained during a raid at his job site in Southern California and detained for three days, during which time he was refused the ability to contact his family, and missed his daughter’s birthday.

“I’m here today not to reopen old wounds, but as a veteran, a father, and an ordinary person who still believes in the promise of this country and the values represented by our flag. I respect law enforcement. I respect the men and women who serve. But I also believe that accountability is not the enemy of respect – it is its foundation,” said Mr. Retes.

Mr. Retes’ written testimony is available here.

Andrea Velez (California): Ms. Velez was on her way to work in downtown Los Angeles when she got caught up in an immigration raid and was held for two days before being falsely charged with assaulting an officer, a charge that was later dropped.

“Though I try to detach from my trauma, our community continues to be targeted simply because of the color of our skin. We are left vulnerable, forced to fend for ourselves—and if this is how U.S. citizens are treated, imagine the cruelty inflicted on those without” said Ms. Velez.

“I stand for every silenced voice, every family broken by fear, every community stripped of its humanity. Dignity, safety, and justice are not privileges—they are fundamental rights.”

Ms. Velez’s written testimony is available here.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a Senior Fellow at the American Immigration Council, joined the five Americans who have personal experiences being detained by U.S, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share a policy and legal perspective on the Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement agenda:

“People want an immigration system that is marked by order, not disorder; a system which provides opportunities for coming into compliance with the law for those who are otherwise law-abiding, while ensuring consistent, just, and proportionate penalties for those who are not. Building such a system is possible; we can couple order with compassion, forgiveness, justice, and other core American principles,” said Mr. Reichlin-Melnick.

“But unfortunately, the administration at the helm of this system is primarily interested in generating a perception of order through performative cruelty, rather than actual order through meaningful reforms.”

Mr. Reichlin-Melnick’s written testimony is available here.

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