In a brief filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thursday morning, officials said that Daniel Ramirez has a gang tattoo on his forearm, that he told them he "used to hang out with the Surenos in California," that he fled California to escape from gangs, and that he "still hangs out with the Paizas in Washington State," according to ICE's legal response made public Thursday morning.
In a conference call at 5:30pm Thursday, one of Ramirez’s attorneys, Mark Rosenbaum, said the allegations are completely false. Rosenbaum and his team released a photo of a form that they said was tampered with, to make it appear as if Ramirez admitted gang affiliation.
Ramirez filled out a form in pencil on Feb. 10 when he was admitted to the Tacoma detention facility, requesting to not be classified with the prison gang members, because he isn’t in a gang. In the denial response returned Feb. 15, there are eraser marks, deleting the words “I came in and the officer said”. Instead, the visible section shows only what followed those words “I have gang affiliation…”
Ramirez is at the center of a national story regarding immigration. He was brought to the United States as a child and his attorneys said he should not be deported because of his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. Several elected leaders have spoken out about the actions against him.
Immigration officials said that Ramirez's DACA status can be terminated because of his gang affiliation.
Cox Media Group
