Latest news with #RamonMoralesReyes
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kristi Noem said an immigrant threatened to kill Trump. The story quickly fell apart
A claim by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that an immigrant threatened the life of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel. Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump's allies. But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump's deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally. Noem also shared the letter on X along with a photo of Morales Reyes, and the White House also shared it on its social media accounts. The letter was mailed to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office along with the FBI and other agencies, the person said. As part of the investigation, officials had contacted Morales Reyes and asked for a handwriting sample and concluded his handwriting and the threatening letter didn't match and that the threat was not credible, the person said. It's not clear why Homeland Security officials still decided to send a release making that claim. In an emailed statement asking for information about the letter and the new information about Morales Reyes, the Department of Homeland Security said "the investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record. He will remain in custody.' His attorneys said he was not facing current charges and they did not have any information about convictions in his record. The revelations were first reported by CNN. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's records show Morales Reyes is being held at a county jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, northwest of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee-based immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera, which is advocating for his release, said he was arrested May 21. Attorney Cain Oulahan, who was hired to fight against his deportation, said he has a hearing in a Chicago immigration court next week and is hoping he is released on bond. Morales Reyes had been a victim in a case of another man who is awaiting trial on assault charges in Wisconsin, the person familiar with the matter said. The trial is scheduled for July. Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, where he lives with his wife and three children. He had recently applied for a U visa, which is carved out for people in the country illegally who become victims of serious crimes, said attorney Kime Abduli, who filed that application. The Milwaukee Police Department said it is investigating an identity theft and victim intimidation incident related to this matter and the county district attorney's office said the investigation was ongoing. Milwaukee police said no one has been criminally charged at this time. Abduli, Morales Reyes' attorney, says he could not have written the letter, saying he did not receive formal education and can't write in Spanish and doesn't know how to speak English. She said it was not clear whether he was arrested because of the letters. 'There is really no way that it could be even remotely true,' Abduli said. 'We're asking for a clarification and a correction from DHS to clear Ramon's name of anything having to do with this.' Mike Balsamo, Scott Bauer And Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
ICE arrests unsettle Milwaukee
Voces de la Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann-Ortiz (center) discusses the arrest of Ramón Morales Reyes with Attorney's Kimi Abduli (right) and Cane Oulahan (left). (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner) A strange turn of events followed the arrest of Ramón Morales Reyes, a 54-year-old Mexican-born man, who was living in Milwaukee as he sought a U-visa — a type of visa available to victims of crimes. On Friday, advocates from Voces de la Frontera joined immigration attorneys representing Morales Reyes to dispute accusations made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that Morales Reyes — who does not speak or write in English — drafted a neatly handwritten note in English threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump. Voces de la Frontera and Morales Reyes' attorneys are calling for DHS to correct the record and clear his name. The affair began on May 21, when Voces de la Frontera received a hotline call reporting a possible sighting of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Milwaukee. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, said during the Friday press conference that one of the group's 'trained community verifiers' contacted local residents who confirmed the sighting and also provided video footage of Morales Reyes being detained. 'His vehicle was left on the side of the road, and using the license plate we were able to identify the owner and communicate with his family,' said Neumann-Ortiz. 'Shortly after, Ramón's daughter came to our office to seek help. We assisted her in completing a power of attorney and ensuring that her father received the essential medication that was critical to his health. We immediately contacted attorney Kime Adbuli, who has been representing Ramón in his ongoing U-visa case.' Neumann-Ortiz explained that a 'U-visa' is a form of immigration relief for crime victims who have suffered emotional or physical abuse and who have helped law enforcement or government officials in the investigation and prosecution of a crime. 'It provides a temporary legal status, and a pathway to permanent residency,' said Neumann-Ortiz. 'In the past, the Morales Reyes family had sought resources from Voces.' Days after the arrest, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem provided statements for a press release describing Morales Reyes as an 'illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump.' Noem added, 'this threat comes not even a year after President Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania and less than two weeks after former FBI Director Comey called for the president's assassination.' Noem was referring to Comey sharing a picture on Instagram of sea shells arranged into the numbers '8647', which '86' interpreted as slang for 'get rid of' and '47' being a reference to Trump, the 47th U.S. president, NPR reported. Comey is now being investigated by the Trump administration. 'All politicians and members of the media should take notice of these repeated attempts on President Trump's life and tone down their rhetoric,' Noem said. 'I will continue to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of President Trump.' The DHS press release included an image of the note, neatly handwritten in turquoise-colored pen and in flawless English. 'We are tired of this president messing with us Mexicans,' it began. 'We have done more for this country than you white people — you have been deporting my family and I think it is time Donald J. Trump get what he has coming to him. I will self deport myself back to Mexico but not before I use my 30 yard 6 to shoot your precious president in is (sic) head — I will see him at one of his big ralleys (sic).' The reference to '30 yard 6' may be an incorrectly written reference to 30-6 (pronounced as '30 odd 6'), which is a high caliber bullet for rifles. Morales Reyes' family says that it is impossible that he wrote the note. Described by his attorneys as a soft spoken, hardworking and committed family man, Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher. He was described as coming from a rural part of Mexico where it's common for people to have no more than a third-grade education. Morales Reyes had difficulty filling out paperwork, does not speak English and is not proficient in writing in Spanish. Neumann-Ortiz said that his family called Voces organizers, confirming that Morales Reyes had very little formal education, and could not read or write in Spanish. Since his arrest, Morales Reyes' family has received death threats on social media. 'They want his name cleared,' said Neumann-Ortiz. On the day he was arrested, CNN reported, Morales Reyes was questioned by detectives from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), who suspected that someone may have been setting him up to get deported. Police were reportedly investigating jailhouse calls from a person who'd allegedly assaulted Morales Reyes during a September 2023 armed robbery. CNN reported that ICE agents were given a handwritten note by Morales Reyes with family-related information, and agents realized that the handwriting did not match. The questions surrounding the letter are reminiscent of those stemming from the arrest and deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was accused by the U.S. government of being a member of the El Salvadoran gang MS-13. President Trump held up pictures which had been altered to appear as though 'M S 1 3' was tattooed on Abrego Garcia's knuckles. Getting Morales Reyes deported would prevent him from testifying against the person in custody for allegedly attacking him, his attorneys said at the press conference. Attorney Kime Abduli said there are due process concerns around Morales Reyes' arrest, as it could interrupt his testimony as a victim in a criminal proceeding and also impact his U-visa case. The specific visa process which Morales Reyes is undertaking 'is really meant to offer protection to people who may be undocumented who are victims of crime in the United States,' Abduli explained. 'It's meant to encourage them to report those crimes, when they are victims of those crimes, to the authorities, and to cooperate in the investigation. Where a person may be undocumented and fearful of reporting these sorts of things, Congress basically established the U-visa to make it 'safe' for them to come forward with that information. As long as they're cooperating with law enforcement, the U-visa is intended to offer some protection for that individual.' Obtaining a U-visa can be a very lengthy process spanning seven to eight years at a minimum, Abduli said. Attorney Cane Oulahan, who is representing Morales Reyes in his deportation proceedings, said that ensuring due process is his top priority. Oulahan said that a bond hearing is expected in the coming days, where he expects the government to argue 'vigorously' for Morales Reyes to be deported. It's likely that the accusations from Noem's DHS will also be raised before the judge. The controversy and questions come as ICE attempts to expel another Milwaukee resident. Yessenia Ruano, a teacher's aide in Milwaukee Public Schools, was ordered recently by ICE to return to her home country of El Salvador in a matter of days. This is despite Ruano having a pending visa application for trafficking victims, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. On Friday, the same day Voces and attorneys held a press conference about the Morales Reyes case, ICE ordered Ruano to get on a deportation flight on June 3. Ruano will leave behind her 9-year-old twin daughters, who are U.S. citizens. Ruano's attorneys said that it appears that ICE is abandoning policies of waiting for processing of T and U visas, which protect people from deportation. Ruano has lived in the U.S. for 14 years, has no criminal record, has a valid work visa, and is employed at a bilingual public elementary school. She said she is hoping that a final legal filing could pause her deportation. Ruano's case spurred a flurry of condemnation from local Milwaukee officials. 'Deporting valued members of our community who are raising and educating our kids, assisting law enforcement in their important work, and giving back to our neighborhoods should alarm us all,' Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley wrote on X. 'These individuals are victims of a broken immigration system. The Trump administration told the country they were only going after 'the worst of the worst'. But time and time again, we see them targeting the very people who contribute the most — our neighbors, our coworkers, or friends.' Crowley said that he is 'deeply alarmed that our country continues to turn its back on our most vulnerable.' He went on to say that 'by not standing up and protecting our neighbors, we're not just failing them — we're failing our entire community. Due process is under attack, and that should concern all of us in Wisconsin and across the country.' Congresswoman Gwen Moore also released a statement, calling Ruano a 'beloved member of her community,' and declaring that 'deporting Yessenia will not make our country safer.' Moore said the deportation order 'will only separate Yessenia from her children and her community while exposing her to danger she was forced to flee in El Salvador. Instead of making America a beacon of hope for people like Yessenia, this Administration's focus is only pushing cruelty that demonizes immigrants.' Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-Milwaukee) said that the Trump administration's deportation of Ruano is 'wrong and harmful.' Clancy said in a statement that Ruano had volunteered at her local Catholic parish, worked in her neighborhood school, and was taking care of her family. Recent weeks have seen ICE and the Trump Administration focus more on Milwaukee. Since late March, at least four people have been arrested by immigration agents after attending regularly scheduled hearings at the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Local officials denounced the courthouse arrests, only for Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan to also be arrested by federal agents for allegedly obstructing authorities by escorting a man sought by ICE from her courtroom into a public hallway. 'Yessenia is an asset to our community whenever she touches it,' said Clancy. 'Our community and her daughters deserve to continue to have Yessenia with us here, and Yessenia deserves to continue to build a thriving life with her family in Milwaukee.' Clancy condemned ICE, saying the agency 'continues to act arbitrarily and with cruelty. We must all do what we can to protect our neighbors from it.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Undocumented man accused of making threat to Trump's life may be victim of frame-up
An undocumented man who was accused by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, Kristi Noem, last week of threatening to assassinate Donald Trump in a letter may have been framed by someone accused of previously attacking the man, according to news reports. Investigators are said to be looking into whether the letter was an attempt to get the man deported, to prevent him from testifying against his alleged attacker. The extremely public accusation against the 54-year-old father of three, Ramon Morales-Reyes, led to his arrest and detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials. News reports from CNN, ABC and the Associated Press detail Morales-Reyes' case and how Noem's highly publicized accusation against him appears to have unraveled. Prior to Noem accusing Morales-Reyes of threatening to kill the president, local investigators in Milwaukee were already reportedly investigating whether the letter was a setup. Morales-Reyes was allegedly assaulted by a man in September 2023, who slashed him with a box cutter before stealing his bike. As the case prepared to go to trial, Ice this month received the letter threatening to assassinate Trump. 'I will self deport myself back to Mexico but not before I use my 30 yard 6 to shoot your precious president,' the handwritten letter says, which was completely written in English and signed with Morales-Reyes' name. Morales-Reyes was arrested and detained. But local investigators compared Morales-Reyes' handwriting with the letter and found they did not match. Meanwhile, activists and attorneys began working on his case. Local Wisconsin immigration advocates and attorneys, with Morales-Reyes' family, said during a press release on Friday that Morales-Reyes did not write the letter. 'A family member called our organizers, letting us know that this was impossible, as her father had very little formal education and could not read or write in Spanish – let alone perfect English,' said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the executive director of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant advocacy organization. Citing police documents it had obtained, CNN reported that Milwaukee officials on Monday began reviewing jailhouse calls from the individual accused of having assaulted Morales-Reyes and discovered he discussed sending letters to Ice in order to frame his alleged victim. He reportedly wanted to have Morales-Reyes deported to prevent him from testifying in the robbery trial. 'He outta there,' the person said in a phone call earlier in May, according to the CNN report, and described how Trump's return to office was increasing deportations. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion On Wednesday, Noem began sharing the accusation against Morales-Reyes, along with his photo and an image of the letter, which were posted in a press release on the DHS website. The accusation quickly spread on social media and rightwing, Trump-allied sites. 'Thanks to our Ice officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars,' Noem said. 'I will continue to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of President Trump.' Local officials and the DHS told the Associated Press that the case is still under investigation. After the 2023 assault, Morales-Reyes applied for a U-visa – a special visa provided to undocumented victims of crime that may lead to a pathway to legal residency. The process to obtain a U-visa is lengthy and complicated. It is unclear whether Noem will issue a correction on the matter, if Morales-Reyes will be able to testify against the alleged perpetrator or how his U-visa application process may be affected by him being placed in Ice detention.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Threat to shoot Trump was not written by Mexican man, investigators now say
The Brief Homeland Security claimed Ramon Morales Reyes threatened to kill Donald Trump, but officials now suspect he was framed. According to The Associated Press, investigators found the threatening letter's handwriting didn't match Morales-Reyes', casting doubt on the credibility of the alleged threat. A claim by Homeland Security that an immigrant threatened the life of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump's allies. Noem also shared the letter on X along with a photo of Morales Reyes, and the White House also shared it on its social media accounts. But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote the letter with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump's deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally. As part of the investigation, officials had contacted Morales Reyes and asked for a handwriting sample and concluded his handwriting and the threatening letter didn't match and that the threat was not credible, the person said. What they're saying In an emailed statement asking for information about the letter and the new information about Morales Reyes, the Department of Homeland Security said "the investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record. He will remain in custody." Morales Reyes is a Mexican national who allegedly entered the United States illegally on nine separate occasions between 1999 and 2005. The backstory Morales-Reyes had been previously arrested for felony hit-and-run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with "a domestic abuse modifier," according to the Department of Homeland Security. Dig deeper "We are tired of this president messing with us Mexicans – We have done more for this country than you white people – you have been deporting my family and I think it is time Donald J. Trump get what he has coming to him," the letter read. EARLIER:Man threatened to shoot Trump in head "for messing with us Mexicans," ICE says "I will self deport myself back to Mexico but not before I use my 30 yard 6 to shoot your precious president in is head – I will see him at one of his big ralleys [sic]." He reportedly appears to be referencing the .30-06 Springfield rifle. The letter was received on May 21 and Morales-Reyes was arrested last Thursday, DHS said. The Source Information for this article was taken from a Department of Homeland Security news release and FOX News reporting. The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Undocumented Wisconsin man accused of threatening to kill president
The Brief An undocumented Wisconsin man is accused of threatening to kill the president. Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem said that man is Ramon Morales-Reyes who lives and works in Milwaukee. Morales-Reyes' attorney and supporters said he is innocent. MILWAUKEE - An undocumented Wisconsin man threatened to kill President Donald Trump. At least that is what the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary said. But FOX6 News found out, there is an investigation into whether the man was framed. What we know A handwritten note in English threatens to shoot the president. It reads as follows: "We are tired of this President messing with us Mexicans - we have done more for this country than you white people - you have been deporting my family and I think it is time Donald J. Trump get what he has coming to him. I will self-deport myself back to Mexico but not before I use my 30 yard 6 to shoot your precious president in his head - I will see him at one of his big ralleys." FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on Wednesday, "Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars." Noem said that man is Ramon Morales-Reyes who lives and works in Milwaukee. His attorney and supporters said he is innocent. What they're saying "He does not speak any English. And definitely cannot write it," said Kime Abduli, the attorney for Morales-Reyes. "Family called our organizers letting us know that this was impossible, as her father had very little formal education and could not read or write in Spanish, let alone English," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces De La Frontera. ICE arrested the man near 9th and National on the city's south side on May 22. He is now locked up in Dodge County. Immigrant rights organization Voces De La Frontera witnessed the arrest and has been in touch with the man's family. "This false claim has no had the consequence that the family feels that their lives are being threatened, because of the comments being made against them on social media. They want his name cleared," Neumann-Ortiz said. Dig deeper Supporters ask, was the letter a set-up? "Who wrote it? Whether it may have been the defendant in that criminal case, in which Ramon is a witness, or if it was someone else related to him. At this point, we don't have enough information to say. That's kind of an ongoing investigation right now," Abduli said. His attorneys said Morales-Reyes is a witness and victim of armed robbery and reckless endangerment. He is set to testify in that upcoming trial. "He's also contributing to keeping our communities safer," said Cain Oulahan, attorney for Morales-Reyes. "I mean he's a victim, and he came forward and cooperated with law enforcement and if he and others like him are not willing to come forward, and talk about their crimes and work with the police and the prosecutors, it's going to have a chilling effect, if people think they'll be deported if they come forward." Milwaukee police tell FOX6 News it is investigating identity theft and victim intimidation. But no one has been charged in that case. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News On Friday, a Homeland Security official said, "The investigation into the threat is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this individual was determined to be in the country illegally and that he had a criminal record. He will remain in custody." What's next Morales-Reyes' family is now asking the Homeland Security Secretary to clear their father's name. Voces De La Frontera said that family has faced threats. Morales-Reyes has a hearing in immigration court in Chicago next week. The Source The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.
