A federal judge in Great Falls ruled to release Froid diesel mechanic Roberto Orozco-Ramirez from jail on Wednesday evening, siding with his lawyers on their argument that his continued detention was unlawful. On Thursday around 10:50 a.m., after more than 100 days behind bars, Orozco-Ramirez walked out of the Cascade County Detention Center and embraced his oldest son. Both wiped tears from their eyes and got in the car to return to Froid, where dozens of people planned to celebrate his return. “I need to go home,” Orozco-Ramirez said. “It’s been a long time, but we made it.” “Let’s get you the hell out of here,” said his lawyer, Laura Christoffersen.In a court filing Wednesday, U.S. District Court for the District of Montana Chief Judge Brian Morris wrote that Orozco-Ramirez, an undocumented immigrant, who has been detained since January, should be released from Cascade County Detention Center in Great Falls within 24 hours. Morris called the Trump administration’s interpretation of the longstanding immigration law “erroneous” and said people accused of entering the country illegally have a right to due process.
“Such indifference from the executive branch to the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom from arbitrary confinement represents grave cause for concern,” he stated in a ruling.
