An immigration raid in Los Angeles has triggered a firestorm after the 79-year-old owner of a local car wash was left battered, hospitalized, and later released without charge. He is now seeking $50 million in damages from the federal government.
The man, Rafie Shouhed, says he was attempting to ask questions when armed officers in masks pinned him to the ground. Security footage shows him struggling as one agent forced a knee onto his body, while others restrained his arms. “I told them I had heart problems. I begged them to stop,” Shouhed said.
Instead of receiving medical assistance, Shouhed alleges he was held in custody for nearly 12 hours. Only after his release did doctors confirm broken ribs, an injured elbow, and symptoms consistent with head trauma.
Lawyers argue that officers ignored repeated signs of distress. “This was a U.S. citizen, cooperative and unarmed,” said attorney Jim Desimone. “Rather than de-escalating, they chose violence.”
Officials from Homeland Security defended the September 9 operation, pointing to the arrests of five undocumented workers. They maintain that Shouhed obstructed the sweep. His attorneys counter that the footage contradicts those claims and reveals an assault without justification.
Community advocates in Los Angeles — a city shaped by immigrants — warn that the raid underscores a deeper problem: heavy-handed enforcement tactics spilling over onto lawful residents. Critics argue that fear and confusion now ripple beyond immigrant households, touching anyone who crosses paths with these operations.
For Shouhed, who emigrated from Iran in the 1980s and built his business from scratch, the ordeal has turned into a battle over dignity and accountability. “They treated me like I was nothing,” he said. “But I am an American. And I will not be silent.”
The damages claim marks the first step toward a lawsuit that could test the limits of federal immunity and intensify calls for reform in the way immigration raids are carried out on U.S. soil.
