U.S. Citizen Accuses INS of Wrongful Arrest
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A Los Angeles who says he was wrongfully arrested and detained during a search for illegal immigrants at Los Angeles International Airport filed a claim Monday against the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Ernesto Medrano, a U.S. citizen, said he is seeking attorney fees and $500 in damages. He filed the claim with the INS western regional office as a precursor to filing a lawsuit.
Medrano, 28, who works for the AFL-CIO’s California Immigrant Workers Assn., said he was at the airport March 29 waiting for a co-worker’s flight to arrive when he was questioned by two INS agents about his citizenship. Medrano said he was arrested after he refused to answer questions.
An INS official declined to comment specifically on Medrano’s case but said that, in general, agents detain people only when they have a reasonable suspicion about the person’s citizenship.
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