Florida Teen Says Immigration Agents Told Him “You Have No Rights” During Arrest

An 18-year-old U.S. citizen from Florida says he was shocked and hurt when immigration agents told him he had “no rights” during a violent arrest in May.

Kenny Laynez, a high school senior born and raised in the United States, was headed to work as a landscaper with two co-workers and his mother on May 2 when their car was stopped by Border Patrol and the Florida Highway Patrol. The stop was reportedly for having too many people in the front seat.

Two passengers were undocumented, Laynez said. Officers are seen in cellphone video using a Taser, and both of his co-workers were detained. Laynez says he has not been able to contact them since.

Video Captures Shocking Comments

Laynez recorded part of the encounter on his phone. In the footage, an officer can be heard telling him, “You got no rights here. You’re an amigo, brother.”

“It hurts me, hearing them say I have no rights here because I’m Hispanic,” Laynez told CBS News.

After Laynez was detained, his phone kept recording. In the audio, one officer says, “They’re starting to resist more. We’re gonna end up shooting some of them.” Another responds, “Just remember, you can smell that too with a $30,000 bonus.”

Official Responses

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement claiming the individuals had “resisted arrest” and said immigration agents are facing a rise in assaults while performing their duties. The agency did not acknowledge that a U.S. citizen was among those detained. Florida Highway Patrol declined to comment.

Broader Context

The arrest happened as Florida prepares to deputize more than 1,800 additional state and local law enforcement officers to take part in immigration operations under a statewide crackdown.

Advocates like Mariana Blanco, director of the Guatemala Maya Center, say this expansion will lead to more abuses. “Deputizing these agents so quickly is going to bring severe consequences,” she warned.

Laynez maintains that he and the others in the car were not resisting. “We weren’t committing any crime or trying to run away,” he said. “I was just going to work.”