Plaintiffs accuse U.S Department of Homeland Security of Constitutional Violations

In a dramatic legal battle, a group of plaintiffs has taken on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its officials over alleged constitutional violations involving immigration enforcement. The complaint was filed by Humberto Garcia, Andrea Soledad Garcia, Anna Beatriz Garcia, and L.G., a minor represented by Andrea Soledad Garcia, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on February 18, 2026. The defendants include Kristi Noem and Todd M. Lyons.

The plaintiffs allege that recent directives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have led to unconstitutional home invasions under the guise of immigration enforcement. According to the complaint, ICE officers have been entering homes without judicial warrants based solely on administrative warrants—a practice they claim violates both Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures and Fifth Amendment rights to due process. The complaint highlights an incident on January 9, 2026, when ICE officers allegedly stormed the Garcia family home in Donna, Texas. Humberto Garcia reported seeing trucks outside their residence early in the morning before ICE agents jumped their fence, pointed guns at him, and physically assaulted him without identifying themselves or presenting a warrant.

This aggressive enforcement action extended to other family members as well. Andrea Soledad Garcia was reportedly kicked to the ground while demanding to see a judicial warrant that was never produced. Similarly, Anna Beatriz Garcia suffered bruises from being tightly gripped by officers. Perhaps most distressingly, L.G., a disabled minor with fragile bones due to a medical condition, awoke to find guns pointed at her and was forced into submission by ICE agents.

The plaintiffs argue that these actions are part of a broader pattern enabled by a May 2025 memo instructing ICE officers to disregard long-standing constitutional mandates requiring judicially signed warrants for home entries. This directive is said to contradict even ICE’s own training materials which emphasize that administrative warrants do not authorize such searches.

In response to these alleged violations, the plaintiffs seek declaratory relief affirming their constitutional rights and injunctive relief preventing further unauthorized home entries by federal agents. They also request reasonable attorney’s fees and any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Representing the plaintiffs is Raed Gonzalez of Gonzalez Olivieri LLC in Houston, Texas. The case is presided over by an unnamed judge under Case ID 7:26-cv-00085.