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Hi, thanks for reading The Arrest That Shook Froid and for sending us your thoughts at border@montanafreepress.org. In this week’s edition, you’ll find information on Roberto Orozco-Ramirez’s whereabouts, updates in his court cases, photos from our recent trip, the latest news on immigration enforcement in Montana and more.
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Where is Roberto Orozco-Ramirez now?
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Last week, I wrote about how Roberto Orozco-Ramirez was transferred from the Cascade County Detention Center to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Over the course of six days, he traveled at least 1,037 miles — from the detention center in Great Falls to a Border Patrol office in Havre to a county jail in Idaho to an ICE detention facility in Tacoma, Washington.
On Monday, Orozco-Ramirez was still listed on the roster of the ICE facility in Tacoma. By Tuesday, his name was searchable in ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System — but his location was no longer posted. When I searched Orozco-Ramirez’s name in the locator system on Wednesday, the website read “Call ICE For Details.” And when I clicked on the link to call ICE, the website provided information for an ICE detention facility in Florence, Arizona, indicating he was likely detained in that facility. As I wrote this newsletter Thursday morning, the Arizona information was still linked to his name. By Thursday at 12:30 p.m., a search for his name on the ICE detainee locator turned up zero results. And by 3 p.m., Orozco-Ramirez was listed back at the Jefferson County Jail in Idaho.
I asked Randall Caudle, an immigration attorney for a Missoula-based law firm, why someone like Orozco-Ramirez would be taken to so many places. He said multiple transfers are common, but not necessarily for obvious reasons. Sometimes, he said, “ICE transfers people a lot to make it difficult for their families and attorneys.”
I put the same question about detainee transfers to an ICE spokesperson. By 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, I had not received an answer.
Here’s a possible map of Orozco-Ramirez’s travels, with the Arizona facility factored in:
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What’s going on with his court cases?
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Orozco-Ramirez’s lawyers have filed lawsuits in several courts advocating for his release.
In the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, his lawyers argue that Orozco-Ramirez’s 2009 removal from the U.S. was unlawful. They have also filed a “stay of removal” to prevent the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from deporting Orozco-Ramirez while his case is ongoing. On April 28, attorneys on behalf of Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a motion to dismiss the case and a motion in opposition to the “stay of removal.”
In federal court, Orozco-Ramirez’s lawyers are arguing for his release from custody, saying he is “neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk” and that his continued detention violates his rights to due process. If release is not possible, his lawyers alternatively requested that he have a bond hearing, where a judge can assess whether his continued detention is warranted.
Defendants, which include various law enforcement agencies and government officials, must submit their response by Monday, May 4. Orozco-Ramirez’s hearing, where he will appear in-person, is set for Tuesday, May 12, at 10 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Great Falls, though court hearing dates are subject to change.
It’s too early to say what will happen in this case, but we should have a better idea next week. If the judge sides with Orozco-Ramirez, lawyers tell me it’s possible that he could walk free on the day of the hearing. Alternatively, the judge could side with the defendants and Orozco-Ramirez could remain detained.
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A fire burns outside of Froid as the sun sets on April 27, 2026. Also on April 27, 2026, middle schoolers on the Froid-Medicine Lake track team practice together after school in Medicine Lake. Credit: Lauren Miller/MTFP/CatchLight/Report for America
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While Orozco-Ramirez was being moved around the country, MTFP photojournalist Lauren Miller and I visited Froid earlier this week. We caught up with the sheriff, Orozco-Ramirez’s sons and several community members. I’m working on a story now about why the Roosevelt County Sheriff Jason Frederick has described feeling conflicted about federal immigration enforcement after the original arrest in Froid. Here’s one quote that stood out to me:
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% for immigration laws, but there’s people that contribute to our community. Like, we never knew [Orozco-Ramirez] was illegal until we got the call from Border Patrol. He’s never committed any crimes in our area. We have not dealt with him. … But then of course, on the other end of things in my job, I deal with illegals that are bringing drugs in and committing all these crimes. This guy wasn’t one of them.”
Look out for that story next week at our website, MontanaFreePress.org.
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In other immigration news …
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In April 2025, Beker Rengifo Del Castillo, a 33-year-old Venezuelan man, was pulled over by Whitefish police, allegedly for a faulty taillight. Local police called U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who detained him at an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington. He was released from custody almost a week later and, in August 2025, his lawyers sued the City of Whitefish and its police department, arguing the grounds for Castillo’s arrest were false. They maintained that Castillo entered the country legally and that police called federal agents because he spoke Spanish during the traffic stop.
Earlier this week, the City of Whitefish agreed to a $90,000 settlement to resolve the lawsuit. Andres Haladay, an attorney at Upper Seven Law, the firm representing Castillo, said in a press release this week that the settlement “should send a clear message to law enforcement agencies across Montana that untrained local police officers should not play border cop.”
“When police conduct immigration investigations based on the color of someone’s skin or the language they speak, it violates the constitution, breaches community trust, and wastes taxpayer dollars,” his statement read.
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Final thought
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Missoula-based immigration attorney Kari Hong begins a presentation on immigration enforcement by talking about Froid, Montana. Credit: Nora Mabie / MTFP
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Last week, I attended a talk by Kari Hong, a Missoula-based immigration attorney, at the University of Montana. In a presentation she’s brought across the country, Hong spoke about mass deportation, detention and ICE. Recently, Hong said she begins her presentation by talking about Orozco-Ramirez’s arrest and how the Froid community has rallied to support him.
I met Hong for coffee this week, and she told me that audience members nationwide have felt moved by part of the story happening in Froid. Hong said that’s a sentiment she shares.
“I think the story of Froid is so inspiring because it shows we don’t care about political parties first — we care about our neighbors,” she said. “And that’s what people want.”
Thanks for reading The Arrest That Shook Froid and please share feedback with our team at border@montanafreepress.org.
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