Job Garcia, a U.S. citizen of Mexican descent, has filed a $1 million claim for damages against three federal agencies—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Border Patrol, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—after being arrested in Los Angeles while documenting an immigration raid.
Garcia, 37, is a doctoral student and photographer. On June 19, 2025, he was outside a Home Depot in Hollywood, where federal agents were conducting an immigration sweep targeting migrant laborers. According to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (Maldef), which is representing Garcia, he was recording the operation and advising a truck driver—who was being questioned—not to respond without legal counsel.
Garcia alleges he was tackled, handcuffed, and held for more than 24 hours without any warning or explanation. “Border Patrol and ICE punished me for informing others of their rights and for exercising my own,” he said in a statement released by Maldef.
Video footage from the scene shows an agent smashing the window of the truck while Garcia continues filming from close range. Moments later, agents approach him, restrain him, and take him into custody. He was held in a temporary detention site set up at Dodger Stadium. During his detention, Garcia says he overheard officers bragging about having “picked up 31 bodies” that day.
According to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, the arrest was prompted by Garcia’s “aggressive conduct” toward a Border Patrol agent. “He was arrested for assaulting a federal officer. He will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” McLaughlin told The Hill.
On July 2, Maldef filed a claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act—an initial step required to sue the federal government. Maldef attorneys argue that Garcia’s arrest and detention occurred without a warrant or probable cause, constituting a violation of his constitutional rights.
The case raises urgent questions about the right to record law enforcement operations and the expanding use of federal power to suppress immigration-related activism. “Border Patrol and ICE punished Job Garcia simply for exercising his right to document a discriminatory operation,” said Ernest Herrera, Maldef’s regional counsel.
Garcia was released without formal charges, though DHS has indicated that the federal investigation remains open. If the government fails to respond to the claim within six months, Maldef has stated it will proceed with a civil lawsuit.
The incident comes amid intensifying scrutiny of U.S. immigration policy, as the federal government faces growing criticism for deploying repressive tactics against activists, observers, and citizens advocating for civil rights.
