In a shocking encounter that underscores the tense climate surrounding immigration enforcement, a U.S. citizen was wrongfully detained while filming a federal operation at a Hollywood Home Depot. The incident unfolded Thursday when 37-year-old Real Garcia, a photographer and Ph.D. student, witnessed federal agents targeting undocumented immigrants in the parking lot. Garcia’s cellphone footage captured agents violently smashing a truck window to detain a man inside, only for their focus to shift dangerously towards him.

Garcia described a harrowing scene as agents lunged at him, pinning him to the ground with their knees on his back, despite his previous surgeries. “I thought this is it for me,” he recalled, as witnesses shouted in disbelief. The agents never checked his identification, and he was soon whisked away to a makeshift staging area near Dodgers Stadium, handcuffed and listening to agents boast about the number of arrests made that day.

After nearly a full day in the Metropolitan Detention Center, Garcia was released without charges. Despite the trauma of the experience, he expressed a sense of purpose, stating, “If I distracted somebody allowing them to run away, it was worth it.” Now, he plans to take legal action against what he calls a blatant violation of his rights.

This incident raises urgent questions about the methods employed by immigration enforcement agencies and the treatment of citizens caught in the crossfire. As tensions escalate, the implications of Garcia’s experience resonate far beyond a single event, highlighting the precarious balance between law enforcement and civil liberties in America.