US citizen says he was jailed for days after California immigration raid

STORY: George Retes is a U.S. citizen and an Army veteran who works as a security guard at a cannabis farm in California.Retes said he was arrested by U.S. officials last week during an immigration raid at that farm, shown here.He described the chaotic scene in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday.“They took two officers to kneel on my back and then one on my neck to arrest me, even though my hands were already behind my back and I was covered in OC spray.””They had no coordination going on whatsoever. They were just kind of cuffing people and just sending them away without any information at all. // I told him everything. I was a citizen, I worked there, and they didn’t care. They still never told me my charges, and then they sent me away. They sent me to a place in downtown LA without even telling me what I was arrested for.”The raid was part of an intensified immigration crackdown launched by President Donald Trump’s administration in June.Protesters have regularly appeared at immigration raids in the Los Angeles area, including the one at the farm,demonstrating their opposition to the government’s display of force.:: FileAfter the raid, Retes says he was held at the detention facility for three days without explanation.While in jail, he said he missed his daughter’s third birthday.Reeling from the stress of his arrest and being separated from his family, Retes says he was put on suicide watch.Reporter: “So you were getting emotional and they just put you there?”Retes: “Yeah, I felt like it was the best, for myself.”Immigrant rights groups have said the raids have periodically ensnared U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Retes was arrested, released and has not been charged.Retes now says he is planning to sue the federal government.:: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Handout:: FileImmigration policy until recently was a strong point for Trump.But a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Wednesday found that Trump’s public approval rating on immigration fell in recent weeks to 41%, the lowest since his return to the White House.Only 28% of poll respondents said they agreed with a statement that “immigration arrests at places of work are good for the country,” compared with 54% who disagreed.