"I identified myself as a U.S. citizen and a veteran, but that didn't matter," said George Retes, an Army veteran from Southern California.
"I begged them to tell me who they were and where they were taking me," recalled Dayanne Figueroa of Chicago.
Their testimonies are among the more than 20 included in a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report titled "Unchecked Authority: Examining The Trump Administration's Extrajudicial Immigration Detentions of U.S. Citizens.
The report denounces federal immigration authorities, stating U.S. citizens have been physically assaulted, pepper sprayed, denied medical treatment, and detained at times for days.
"This report ought to shock America's conscience," said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), who hosted the forum in Washington D.C. along with Congressman Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach).
"[Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem] should be ashamed. She should resign," said Garcia.
During the forum, lawmakers watched video that showed some of the encounters, including the moment federal agents crashed into Figueroa's vehicle in Chicago.
She and others describe inhumane conditions. Their accounts parallel what people with varying immigration statuses have reported.
"I repeatedly told them that I was recovering from two recent kidney surgeries. No one took it seriously until I began to pee blood," said Figueroa.
"I was unable to access drinking water without first purchasing a cup. I was thirsty," said Andrea Velez of Los Angeles.
In July, Retes was arrested at an immigration raid in Camarillo while showing up for work. Retes testified that he was detained, naked in a hospital gown on suicide watch.
"I remained in those conditions from Friday morning," he said, chocking up and pausing to collect himself. "From Friday morning until the moment I was released. My family had no idea where I was. I was released without explanation and without a single charge," he said.
In October, reporting by ProPublica found about 130 citizens were arrested at raids and protests, including about a dozen elected officials.
Those arrested were accused of interfering with or assaulting officers. The cases were often dropped, according to the report.
"The point is not to look backward but forward. What can we do together to ensure this never happens again?" asked Retes.
This year, Eyewitness News has repeatedly asked the DHS questions regarding reports similar to the ones presented during the forum.
We have asked DHS how many U.S. citizens have been arrested by immigration authorities. The agency has not answered the question, instead it has denied that ICE arrests U.S. citizens, despite the reports we have documented.
Blumenthal's office said he and Garcia have sent Noem demanding information and records from the agency following increasingly frequent reports of unconstitutional detentions of U.S. citizens by federal agents, adding that they reiterated their request in another letter to Noem in November.