Western, central and northern Minnesota under windy, dry weather conditions 

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

A 23-year-old man who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents in Seattle on Feb. 10 says his constitutional rights have been violated, and he is suing the U.S. government for his release.

Daniel Ramirez Medina, who is currently being held by immigration authorities in Tacoma, Wash., is registered with the U.S. government under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.


His appears to be the first arrest by ICE of a DACA recipient. A federal judge in Seattle has scheduled 

According to court documents, Ramirez was born in Mexico and brought to the U.S. when he was about 7 years old.

In 2014, Ramirez was approved to stay in the U.S. under DACA. He paid a fee to register with the government, underwent an extensive background check and was granted a work permit.

On May 5, 2016, his DACA status was renewed a second time. The renewal stated, "Unless terminated, this decision to defer removal action will remain in effect for 2 years from the date of this notice."

Ramirez's lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, was filed on Monday. The complaint alleges Ramirez was asleep at his father's home in Seattle when agents arrived with an arrest warrant for the father.

Attorneys for Ramirez, whose own child is an American citizen, claim his detention without probable cause violates his Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.

ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson said Ramirez is a "self-admitted gang member," NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reported.

One of Ramirez's attorneys, Ethan Dettmer, said his client "unequivocally denies," that assertion.

"While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit gang affiliation. The statement issued tonight by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not accurate," Dettmer said.


The court complaint also addresses the seeming failure of a stopgap measure — a 24/7 law enforcement 

 that DACA recipients are instructed to call if they find themselves incorrectly detained by immigration authorities, as the 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website explains

But "when Mr. Ramirez's counsel called the hotline, he was provided no assistance in remedying the mistake that had been made by the arresting ICE agents," the complaint states.


Ramirez's arrest comes three weeks after President Trump 

 regarding the enforcement of immigration laws inside the country.


One section of that order addressed how federal agencies collect and share information about people in the U.S. under the Privacy Act:

Advocates for DACA recipients say they would be troubled if data collected by the Obama administration through the program could now be used to deport people.

 another member of Ramirez's legal defense team, attorney Mark Rosenbaum, said he was "not concerned today, because there's nothing in terms of a change in law [now]."
"My hope is that ICE and federal government say the truth, which is that a mistake was made here," Rosenbaum said.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Politics and Government News

Social Issues

Rebecca Hersher

Author

Daniel Ramirez Medina was arrested despite registering under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. He has sued the U.S. government for violating his constitutional rights.

DACA recipient sues U.S. government after he is detained by immigration authorities

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox