US citizen injured in LA immigration raid seeks $50 million in federal claim

(The Hill) — A U.S. citizen injured during a Los Angeles immigration raid has filed a $50 million federal tort claim against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and two of its agencies for the use of “excessive force.”

Rafie Ollah Shouhed, 79, said he suffered from multiple broken ribs, contusions and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents allegedly slammed him to the ground earlier this month. 

Agents were targeting five people from Guatemala and Mexico during the Sept. 9 operation that took place at his car wash business, according to a DHS statement shared with The Associated Press. DHS said Shouhed was originally arrested for “impeding” a federal officer. 

“What can I do for you? Can I help you?” Shouhed recalled saying to the officers, according to the AP.

He was then thrown to the ground by three masked agents and briefly taken into custody, according to the claim. Shouhed was eventually released without charges.

“This was an outrageous and unlawful assault on a 79-year-old American citizen in his own place of business,” V. James DeSimone, Shouhed’s attorney, said in a statement. 

“Federal agents body slammed Mr. Shouhed, pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck, ignored his pleas for medical care, and left him broken and in pain for hours. Their actions violated the Constitution, California civil rights law, and basic human decency.”

DHS has six months to review the claim and settle or deny before a federal lawsuit can be filed, the AP reported.

Shouhed’s action comes after another Los Angeles citizen filed a $1 million claim against DHS, ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in July following an arrest for recording a raid at a Home Depot store.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has said masked ICE agents have been terrorizing local communities and on Saturday signed a bill banning law enforcement officers from covering their faces. Once the law takes effect, those who do are liable to face civil penalties and a misdemeanor charge. The Trump administration has since ordered federal authorities to ignore the law, while DHS already said its officials won’t comply.