With Trump-era deportations underway, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have targeted a 23-year-old man permitted to remain in the country under President Barack Obama’s administration.
According to CNN, Daniel Ramirez Medina was granted deferred action and employment authorization under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) yet was arrested without cause at his father’s home in Seattle on Friday (Feb. 10), which immigration rights groups say may be a first for a DREAMer.
While ICE officials claim they took the father of a three-year-old son into custody because of “admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety,” his lawyers maintain his innocence in a suit filed in federal court. “The federal government may not arbitrarily or capriciously deprive DACA recipients of these benefits, as they have here with Mr. Ramirez,” they wrote.
As Ramirez is held in a Tacoma, Wash. detention facility, Seattle’s mayor Ed Murray and City Councilmember M. Lorena González are sticking to their sanctuary city policy. According to their joint statement, “The Seattle Police Department will not help ICE detain or deport immigrants who are doing nothing more than raising their families and contributing to the vibrant culture and successful economy of our city.”
The cry for Ramirez’s freedom begins:
The people ICE calls “collateral” are in fact integral members of our communities. #FreeDaniel #NoBanNoRaidsNoWall
— Nat’l Imm Law Center (@NILC_org) February 15, 2017
The community of Washington State stands with Daniel, and to stop the raids targeting our community!#FreeDaniel #HereToStay
— United We Dream (@UNITEDWEDREAM) February 15, 2017
time to fight back, can’t guarantee everything will be okay, we must demand leadership from local elected officials #freedaniel #Heretostay
— Adrian I. Reyna (@isaiasreyna) February 14, 2017
His name is Daniel Ramirez and we stand with him and all the #Dreamers ?🏽?🏿?🏼 #FreeDaniel #DACA #NoBanNoWallNoRaids
— Jorie D. (@thejoried) February 15, 2017
I say we set a date for a march. In every state that you are in. Lets make our voice heard, we are here to stay #freedaniel#DACA
— Roberto😏 (@96Divas) February 15, 2017
Read more here.