Immigrant who prosecutors say that it is freed to be freed for threat, says Judge

A judge ruled on Tuesday that an immigrant without papers who said according to the public prosecutor was wrongly accused of threatening the president Could be released on bond, while the government is trying to be deported.

The man, Ramon Morales Reyes, who worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Milwaukee, was arrested last month and accused by the Department of Homeland Security for writing a letter that threatens to kill President Trump. Days later, the prosecutors in Wisconsin said that Mr. Morales Reyes was framed by another man who had written the letter to let Mr. Morales Reyes arrested by immigration officials before he could testify against him in a theft.

Even after the public prosecutors of Milwaukee County had submitted identity theft last week and intimidation rights witnessed the other man, Demetric D. Scott, a lifelong inhabitant of Wisconsin, the Ministry of Domestic Security left a press release that accused Mr. Morales Reyes of making the crimes. Mr. Morales Reyes was not accused of any crimes with regard to the threats, but has remained in prison in the immigration case since 22 May.

Supporters of Mr. Morales Reyes, who comes from Mexico, called on federal officials to issue a correction to their press release, including photos of Mr. Morales Reyes and of the threatening letter, handwritten in blue ink. That press release remained online from Tuesday morning, although domestic security officials have added a disclaimer to the bottom of the web page and acknowledge that he is “no longer being investigated for threats against the president.”

When Mr. Morales Reyes appeared in the Immigration Court on Tuesday, Judge Carla Espinoza said she had discovered “that the respondent is currently no danger to the community” and that he could be released at $ 7,500 bond.

The government appeals to that decision until next month. A domestic security lawyer did not argue against the decision of Judge Espinoza during the hearing. During an earlier hearing, the federal government’s lawyer said that she believed that Mr. Morales Reyes was eligible for Band.

Judge Espinoza, from the Federal Immigration Court in Chicago, said that Mr. Morales Reyes had a arrest record from 1996, but that his only conviction seemed to be for disorderly behavior.

Morales Reyes, who wore a green prison jumpsuit, appeared by video from a detention center in Wisconsin. He answered questions from the judge through a Spanish interpreter.

In a statement, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for domestic security, said that although Mr. Morales Reyes was no longer accused of threatening the president, “he is illegal in the country with previous arrests.” The Department did not respond directly to questions about whether it was planning to appeal against his bond.

“The Trump government strives to restore the rule of law and fulfill the president’s mandate to deport illegal alien beings,” Mrs McLaughlin added to her statement. “DHS will continue to fight for the arrest, detention and removal of illegal aliens who have no right to be in this country.”

A lawyer for Mr. Morales Reyes did not respond immediately to a question on Tuesday whether he expected his client to post the bond.

Representative Gwen Moore, a Democrat in Wisconsin who visited Mr. Morales Reyes in prison on Friday, said that Mr. Morales Reyes “was deeply concerned about the safety of his family and the continuous distribution of wrong information”. The congress woman said that she was also struck by how forgiving he is. “

“He said he did not feel any animus towards the man who robbed him and frame him,” said Mrs. Moore in a statement.

Mr. Scott and Mr. Morales Reyes had already crossed paths, according to public prosecutors. In 2023, Mr. Scott was sued in the constitutional court of theft and accused of cutting Mr. Morales Reyes with a box cutter while he took a bike from him. In that case, Mr. Scott did not owe guilty and was in prison awaiting a trial in July.

According to the report of a detective in court, Mr. Scott admitted that he had written the letters and tried to frame Mr Morales Reyes. During a first appearance of the court last week, Mr. Scott did not speak.

“The suspect stated that he knew that taking a threat to President Trump would mean in the letters that the secret service should be involved and law enforcement would certainly be,” wrote the house of Morales Reyes, the detective wrote.