Daniel Ramirez Medina
Daniel Ramirez Medina
Daniel Ramirez Medina is a 23 year-old DACA recipient who was arrested in error during a raid at his house in Tacoma, Washington by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. [1]
He has a 3 year old son born in the United States and is a US Citizen. [1]
Background
Daniel was born in Mexico and raised in the United States. He arrived in the US when he was 7 years old.
He applied for DACA in 2014, and became the recipient for protection from deportation and a work permit. He renewed it on May 5, 2016, and is protected by deportation and able to work legally through May 2018. [1]
He also has a brother who has DACA as well.
On Friday morning January 10th, 2017, ICE agents came to the home of Ramirez's father with a warrant for his father's arrest.
It has been reported by ICE that Ramirez’s father is a felon and had been deported in the past.
Ramirez and his brother was at his house when ICE agents entered to arrest his father.
They then asked Ramirez if he was in the US legally, and according to reports Ramirez said he had a work permit, showed them, and took possession of his wallet - he did not answer any further questions.
They arrested Ramirez along with his father.
Daniel Ramirez is in custody in a Tacoma immigration Detention.
On Tuesday February 14th, 2017, lawyers filed a complaint in federal court over Ramirez’s detention, asking a judge to order the Department of Homeland Security to release Ramirez because he hasn’t been charged with anything and shouldn’t, as a DACA recipient, have been detained in the first place. [1]
The federal magistrate judge in the case has given the government until the morning of February 16th to either release Ramirez or explain why he is still in custody despite having DACA.
The judge has also ordered the government to clarify whether Ramirez is officially being put into deportation proceedings.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14th, 2017, ICE made a press statement that Ramirez was a “self-admitted gang member”.
Ramirez’s lawyers deny that he has any gang involvement — instead, lawyer Ethan Dettmer says that ICE agents “repeatedly pressured” Ramirez “to falsely admit” gang affiliation.
Dettmer has said that Ramirez "unequivocally denies" that he is gang affiliated.
Dettmer also says: "We are hoping this detention was a mistake".
His lawyers, Dettmer, and Mark Rosenbaum of the legal advocacy group Public Counsel, along with other representatives and legal council who have filed a lawsuit - argue the arrest violates his constitutional rights to live and work in this country without the fear of arrest and deportation so long as he satisfies DACA requirements.
“Trust in our government depends upon the Executive Branch keeping its word,” Rosenbaum, director of Public Counsel’s Opportunity Under Law Project, said in a statement.
“Bait and switch sullies the integrity of our nation’s core values.”
The Justice Department in Seattle is still reviewing the case.