Video ad to run on streaming platforms targeting audiences exposed to DHS’ propaganda ads, and tells the story of George Retes, who was detained and imprisoned for three days by ICE.
WASHINGTON – December 3, 2025 – Today Home of the Brave launched a $250K video ad campaign featuring George Retes, the US citizen, Army combat veteran, and father who was stopped, pepper-sprayed, and arrested by ICE on his way to work. The harrowing video features George talking about his experience with ICE, who held him without charge for three days, and released him without an apology. You can view the ad here:
We are airing this one-minute spot nationally on streaming platforms targeting Americans who have seen a DHS/ICE ad in the last 30 days. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently stated that “no American citizens have been arrested or detained” by ICE, which George’s story proves is a lie. Our ad campaign is a direct response to the administration’s $51 million propaganda blitz that’s being funded by the American taxpayers in order to recruit ICE agents who will do Trump’s bidding.
We also released a longer three-minute video telling George’s story in detail. Born in California, he joined the Army and deployed to Iraq. He was arrested by ICE agents on July 10 while en route to his job as a security guard outside of Los Angeles, and footage shows him being manhandled by agents. He was placed on suicide watch while in custody, and missed his daughter’s birthday. He was not allowed to place a call, and was not treated for his tear gas injuries sustained as a result of his arrest.
In the video, George describes being attacked by the ICE agents: “My driver’s side window shatters. An agent sticks his arm through and pepper sprays me in the face. They drag me out of the car. They throw me on the ground. They zip tie my hands behind my back. Had they just looked at my ID, they would have seen that I’m a US citizen, that I’m a veteran … What’s happening right now isn’t right. We’ve got to get accountability. [What happened to me] doesn’t define who we are as Americans.”
Home of the Brave is a new initiative founded earlier this year to highlight the catastrophic harms of Trump’s second term, and urge leaders to speak out. We’ve released more than 175 first-person testimonial videos of Americans sharing how the Trump administration has hurt them, and we publish a newsletter on Substack to highlight these stories. This is the latest of several ad campaigns we’ve run to call attention to Trump’s destructive policies and their adverse consequences for ordinary Americans.
To be connected with spokespeople from Home of the Brave, please contact [email protected].
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