The Iraq Veteran Suing the Government Who Sat at the State of the Union
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a moment of high political theater and personal conviction, George Retes, a 26-year-old Iraq War veteran and Ventura native, sat in the gallery during the State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Retes was the official guest of Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
His presence was a silent but powerful rebuke to federal immigration tactics that recently saw him, a U.S. citizen and disabled Army veteran, wrongfully detained for three days.
The Incident: The Camarillo Farm Raid
The legal battle stems from a massive federal immigration operation on July 10, 2025.
Retes was commuting to his job as a security guard at Glass House Farms, a licensed cannabis grow site near Camarillo, when he encountered a federal roadblock.
According to his lawsuit, Retes stopped his car and identified himself as a U.S. citizen.
He asked to pass through to reach his shift, but agents allegedly gave him conflicting commands, telling him both to leave and to exit his vehicle simultaneously.
Despite his compliance, agents engulfed his car in tear gas, smashed his driver-side window, and discharged pepper spray directly into his face.
Video footage of the encounter showed agents pinning Retes to the ground, with one officer kneeling on his neck and another on his back, even as he gagged from the gas and repeated that he was a citizen.
Three Days of "Incommunicado" Detention
After the raid, Retes was transported to a Navy base in Port Hueneme and then to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Los Angeles. His lawsuit details a harrowing 72-hour disappearance:
- Denied Rights: Retes alleges he was held for three days and nights without being allowed a single phone call or access to an attorney. He was never brought before a judge or formally charged.
- Isolation and Mistreatment: In a particularly disturbing detail, Retes claims he was kept in a "suicide watch" cell, naked with the lights on 24 hours a day and was refused a shower to wash off the burning chemical irritants (pepper spray and tear gas) covering his body.
- The Release: He was released on Sunday afternoon with no charges, no explanation, and no apology. While in custody, he missed his daughter’s third birthday party.
The Legal War: Retes v. United States
On February 18, 2026, just days before the State of the Union, Retes officially filed a civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The lawsuit targets multiple agencies, including ICE, CBP, the FBI, the U.S. Navy, and the Bureau of Prisons.
Retes claims his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights were violated through unlawful seizure and a total deprivation of due process.
While the Department of Homeland Security previously issued a statement claiming Retes became "violent" and "assaulted" agents, Retes and his legal team at the Institute for Justice argue that helicopter and cell phone footage proves these allegations are a smear campaign intended to justify the overreach.
"I Represent Everyone Else"
Speaking after the State of the Union, Retes was clear about why he accepted the invitation to attend. "I served my country. I wore the uniform, and yet here, on our own soil, I was treated like an enemy," he said.
His attorney, Anya Bidwell, stated that the goal is to take this case to the Supreme Court to challenge the legal immunities that often protect federal agents from being held personally liable for constitutional violations.
By fighting in court, Retes says he hopes to ensure that what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else.