ICE Allegedly Throwing Detainees' Wallets Into Trash Triggers Class-Action Lawsuit Over Belongings

An ICE lawsuit filed by seven former detainees in Washington, DC, on 13 October 2026 alleges the agency withheld belongings after release, as one plaintiff alleged officers threw his wallet and belt into a bin during his detention.

The 39-page federal complaint seeks class-action status over property allegedly retained for months. They say missing documents cost them work and, in one case, contributed to homelessness.

The case, Gonzalez v. Department of Homeland Security, names ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and David J. Venturella. Venturella is identified as the senior official performing ICE director duties. The lawsuit names both men in their official capacities.

ICE Detainee Says Officers Threw His Wallet Into the Rubbish

Vladimir Izmailov, a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen seeking asylum, says officers detained him at a checkpoint in Laredo, Texas, on 1 November 2025. He alleges he saw officers discard his wallet and belt.

Izmailov was released on 18 April 2026 after being held in Texas, Arizona and California. According to the complaint, he received his phone back, but not his driving licence, employment authorisation document, or wedding ring.

ICE allegedly reported that it had no record of his ring and later said his possessions were probably destroyed. The filing does not establish that they were destroyed.

Unable to secure stable employment without his work document, Izmailov says his family has borrowed money to cover rent. He lives in Sacramento with his wife and two children.

'ICE refusing to return my belongings has made a horrible experience even worse,' Izmailov said in an ACLU statement.

Missing ICE Documents Linked To Lost Work and Housing

Rolando Ramirez Fuentes, who arrived from Cuba 46 years ago, describes a different loss. The complaint says ICE detained him on 23 July 2025 and released him on 28 April 2026.

He alleges the agency never returned his Social Security card or Florida driving licence. The filing says the missing identification hindered his job search.

The complaint links the missing documents to difficulties obtaining medical care for a heart condition and paying for housing. He is now homeless, the complaint states.

Colombian asylum seeker Enis Suleima Luna Ardila says ICE retained her passport, identification and employment authorisation document after her release in February. She alleges she rejected about five job offers because she could not prove her right to work.

One prospective job offered twice her existing wages and better benefits, according to the complaint.

Another plaintiff, Domingo Tot Quip, says most of his confiscated cash remains missing. He was deported to Guatemala in January and brought back to the United States in August, the filing states. His account involves deportation and missing property.

ICE Property Rules at Centre of Proposed Class Action

The plaintiffs allege ICE informally withholds seized belongings without sufficient justification. They argue this violates the Fourth Amendment, federal administrative law and the agency's property directives.

ICE's 2023 document directive permits officers to retain some documents when justified, including for removal proceedings, but requires a 'clearly articulated operational need.' Whether ICE breached that standard remains disputed.

The complaint cites previous property-return disputes, including a separate Colorado case. In February, Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney described the authorities' failure to return belongings as potentially 'unjustifiable intransigence.' That ruling concerned another detainee and does not resolve the new allegations.

The seven plaintiffs seek class certification covering similarly affected people detained for civil immigration purposes since 20 January 2025. They seek property returns and safeguards.

For now, the plaintiffs' requests remain unresolved. They say they are still waiting for possessions taken during detention, including documents needed to work and establish their identities.