In February, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents locked up Daniel Ramirez Medina, an undocumented immigrant whose parents brought him with them into the U.S. illegally when he was a child. Today, Ramirez’s lawyers announced that he will be released.
Ramirez was granted a temporary permit to remain in the country by the Obama administration, and there was no obvious reason for his arrest (or kidnapping) other than his undocumented status. His detention and the legal challenge to it has become a test case for the authority of the Trump administration to crack down on undocumented immigrants.
In a press release this morning, Ramirez’s lawyers announced that a federal judge has ordered Ramirez’s release on condition of a $15,000 bond. “Like the three-quarters of a million Dreamers in this country, Daniel was brought to the United States as a child and knows no other home,” said Mark Rosenbaum, director of Opportunity Under Law at Public Counsel, and a member of Mr. Ramirez’s legal team. “This is an important first step toward justice for Daniel.”
Ramirez is not out of the woods yet. His case, and the scope of the executive branch’s authority to deport undocumented immigrants, is still under review in federal court.
From the press release: “Magistrate Judge Donohue’s recommendation to deny the Government’s Motion to Dismiss Mr. Ramirez’s habeas petition remains under review while Chief Judge Martinez considers that portion of the Report and Recommendation. Magistrate Judge Donohue’s recommendation specifically held that the federal district court has jurisdiction to consider the constitutionality of Mr. Ramirez’s arrest and detention as raised in his habeas petition.”
UPDATE: “I welcome the release of Daniel Ramirez Medina from immigration detention and look forward to the day when he can build a secure and productive life in our community,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a press release today. “DREAMers like Daniel have seen little compassion or common sense from this new federal administration. The current federal immigration conversation is about demonizing immigrants and instilling fear. In King County, we appreciate that we are all made stronger by welcoming people who strive to make a better life for themselves and their families.
“As the legal process unfolds, I continue to support the DREAMers and to make sure all those under threat have the support and legal resources they need to defend themselves.”
cjaywork@seattleweekly.com
