George Retes, a 25-year-old Army veteran and father of two, had been planning his three-year-old daughter’s Minnie Mouse birthday party at the park for weeks.

He would get her an inflatable bounce house, invite the whole family and shower her with gifts and treats. She was excited for the fun party and he was excited to see the smile on her face, he said.

Those plans fell apart last week when Retes – a US citizen – was detained by federal immigration agents during an immigration raid and protest at a legal Southern California marijuana farm where he worked.

Left injured and burned from pepper spray and tear gas, Retes was detained for three days without explanation, he said. His wife, who couldn’t reach him during his detention, was scrambling to find out where her husband had been taken.

And Retes missed the party he and his toddler had been dreaming about.