A U.S. citizen who was wrongfully detained near the border is suing CBP, ICE

Francisco Galicia, a Dallas-born 18-year-old, who was detained by Customs and Border Protection despite being a U.S. citizen, is suing both the CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The Guardian reports.

Galicia, who is from Edinburg, Texas, was detained for 23 days before being released earlier this week. He said he was held in a crowded space and lost 26 pounds, adding that he wasn't allowed to call his family or a lawyer and was unable to brush his teeth, or get access to a toilet, shower, or bed.

Galicia's lawyer, Claudia Galan, said she believes Galicia was a victim of racial profiling, while Brian Hastings, chief of law enforcement at the U.S. Border Patrol, testified on Thursday that Galicia "claimed to be a citizen of Mexico with no immigration documents to be in or remain in the U.S."

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Galicia's family and Galan are also working to get Galicia's brother, Marlon, a 17-year-old undocumented immigrant who was traveling with Francisco when they were detained, back to the U.S. The younger Galicia voluntarily agreed to be deported to Mexico so he could alert their mother to what happened.

"We're conflicted," the Galicias' mother, Sanjuana, said. "Overjoyed that Francisco is home, but half our heart is in Mexico. We talk to Marlon every day, but we want him here at home." Read more at The Guardian.