Los Angeles — What began as a routine morning at a neighborhood car wash spiraled into chaos when heavily armed immigration agents stormed the premises, leaving its 79-year-old owner battered, hospitalized, and now preparing to take the federal government to court.
Rafie Shouhed, an immigrant from Iran who has lived in the United States since the 1980s, says he was violently taken to the ground by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a September 9 operation. Shouhed alleges that despite his pleas about a heart condition and recent surgery, he was ignored, handcuffed, and held nearly 12 hours without medical care.
“I told them, ‘I cannot breathe,’” Shouhed recounted at a press conference, standing beside his attorneys. “Instead of helping me, they pushed harder. I begged them.”
Surveillance Footage at the Center
Video from security cameras shows three agents tackling Shouhed outside the car wash, pinning him with a knee pressed near his neck. Attorneys argue the footage contradicts the official account that Shouhed interfered with officers. Instead, they say it shows an elderly man seeking an explanation for the raid, only to be treated like a suspect.
The encounter left him with broken ribs, severe elbow injuries, and what doctors described as a traumatic brain injury. Shouhed was later released without charges.
The $50 Million Demand
Through attorney Jim Desimone, Shouhed filed a claim seeking $50 million in damages — the necessary first step before filing a federal lawsuit. “He is a United States citizen who was assaulted, detained, and denied care,” Desimone said. “How many more citizens must suffer before this culture of force-first is addressed?”
Government Response
The Department of Homeland Security defended the operation, confirming the arrests of five undocumented individuals from Guatemala and Mexico at the location. Officials maintain that Shouhed obstructed the operation and assaulted officers — an allegation his legal team flatly rejects.
Broader Tensions
The incident has reignited debate over the conduct of ICE raids, particularly in diverse cities like Los Angeles, where critics say enforcement often blurs the line between targeting undocumented migrants and sweeping up those with no connection to immigration violations.
For Shouhed, a longtime U.S. citizen and even a Trump supporter, the raid was more than a violation of rights — it was a betrayal. “This is my country,” he said quietly. “And look how they treated me.”
His claim, if successful, could force one of the largest financial reckonings yet tied to ICE’s enforcement tactics.
