Morales-Reyes Detained by ICE for Accusation that Appears to be Frame-Up

Ramon Morales-Reyes, an undocumented immigrant was detained 22 May 2025 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a threat to assassinate Donald Trump that appears to be an effort to frame him and derail his upcoming testimony in court.

On 28 May, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced his arrest for the assassination threat received by immigration authorities in a handwritten letter which said, “I will self deport myself back to Mexico but not before I use my 30 yard 6 to shoot your precious president.” It was written in English and signed his name.

The day he was arrested, Milwaukee police talked with him about whether someone might want him to be deported. Upon his arrest, he had given officers a handwritten note with his family information. The handwriting did not match that of the letter Noem later cited as the reason for detaining him.

Police checked telephone calls from an individual in jail who allegedly used a box cutter to cut Morales-Reyes and steal his bike from him in September 2023. Morales-Reyes is due to testify against the alleged perpetrator at trial in July 2025. Police found the alleged attacker discussed framing Morales-Reyes by sending letters to ICE. In a 3 May telephone call, police found he said, “With my armed robbery case, he’s an illegal immigrant. Soon as ICE makes contact with him, he’s getting deported.” That would prevent the upcoming testimony.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, who is Executive Director of immigrant advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, said, “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.”

All of this was known before Noem whipped up a frenzy among MAGA-world with her post in social media. His family, including his three children, have been subjected to threats in the wake of Noem’s public demonization of him. Noem has not issued a retraction.

After he was assaulted in 2023, Morales-Reyes applied for a U-visa which is available for undocumented victims of crime, although it is complex and time-consuming to get. It would give him a path to legal residency.

It is not clear whether Morales-Reyes’ testimony against his alleged attacker will be blocked by being in ICE custody, and it is not clear how being detained will affect his U-visa application.

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