U.S. Veteran Featured in Anti-ICE Ad Targeting Individuals Exposed to DHS Propaganda

George Retes, a 25-year-old U.S. Army veteran and father, is the focus of a new advertisement highlighting concerns over the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) recruitment campaigns. Earlier this year, Retes gained attention after being detained by ICE while on his way to work.

This situation isnt right. Accountability is needed. What happened to me doesnt define us as Americans, Retes states in the ad, which was launched by Home of The Brave, an organization opposing former President Donald Trump.

Retes, who worked as a security guard at Glass House Farms in Camarillo, was arrested during a summer immigration raid at a Southern California marijuana farm. The ad recalls how Retes informed ICE agents that he was a U.S. citizen heading to work, but the agents responded aggressively, deploying tear gas near his vehicle and pepper-spraying him.

Im coughing, eyes burning, struggling to breathe. The agents gave contradictory instructions and shattered my drivers side window. I was just trying to explain I was leaving, Retes recalls.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Retes detention but noted he was released. No charges were filed, and the U.S. Attorneys Office reviewed his case along with others connected to the federal search warrant executed in Camarillo.

Retes is one of at least 170 U.S. citizens reportedly detained by immigration agents, despite claims from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that no Americans have been arrested.

In the advertisement, Retes describes his first night at an ICE detention center in downtown Los Angeles, mentioning minimal sleep and placement on suicide watch. He was released without explanation or apology.

I was held for no reason. I missed my daughters birthday for no reason. The silence was overwhelming, Retes said.

Home of The Brave stated that the ad responds to what it describes as the administrations $51 million taxpayer-funded campaign to recruit ICE agents. During the Trump administration, ICE and DHS invested millions in recruitment, including using AI and voiceover actors, with ads appearing on platforms like HBO Max and Spotify, which sparked public backlash.

Retes $250,000 campaign will run on streaming services, aiming to reach viewers who may have seen DHS recruitment content.

Author: Logan Reeves