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A declare by Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem that an immigrant threatened the lifetime of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel.
Noem introduced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was dwelling within the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story acquired a flood of media consideration and was highlighted by the White Home and Trump’s allies.
However investigators really imagine the person might have been framed in order that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. earlier than he received an opportunity to testify in a trial as a sufferer of assault, an individual acquainted with the matter instructed The Related Press. The particular person couldn’t publicly focus on particulars of the investigation and spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity.
Regulation enforcement officers imagine the person, Ramon Morales Reyes, by no means wrote a letter that Noem and her division shared with a message written in mild blue ink expressing anger over Trump’s deportations and threatening to shoot him within the head with a rifle at a rally. Noem additionally shared the letter on X together with a photograph of Morales Reyes, and the White Home additionally shared it on its social media accounts. The letter was mailed to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement workplace together with the FBI and different businesses, the particular person mentioned.
As a part of the investigation, officers had contacted Morales Reyes and requested for a handwriting pattern and concluded his handwriting and the threatening letter didn’t match and that the menace was not credible, the particular person mentioned. It’s not clear why Homeland Safety officers nonetheless determined to ship a launch making that declare.
In an emailed assertion asking for details about the letter and the brand new details about Morales Reyes, the Division of Homeland Safety mentioned “the investigation into the menace is ongoing. Over the course of the investigation, this particular person was decided to be within the nation illegally and that he had a felony report. He’ll stay in custody.”
His attorneys mentioned he was not dealing with present expenses and they didn’t have any details about convictions in his report.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s data present Morales Reyes is being held at a county jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, northwest of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee-based immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera, which is advocating for his launch, mentioned he was arrested Could 21. Legal professional Cain Oulahan, who was employed to combat in opposition to his deportation, mentioned he has a listening to in a Chicago immigration courtroom subsequent week and is hoping he’s launched on bond.
Morales Reyes had been a sufferer in a case of one other man who’s awaiting trial on assault expenses in Wisconsin, the particular person acquainted with the matter mentioned. The trial is scheduled for July.
Morales Reyes works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, the place he lives together with his spouse and three kids. He had just lately utilized for a U visa, which is carved out for individuals within the nation illegally who turn into victims of great crimes, mentioned lawyer Kime Abduli, who filed that utility.
The Milwaukee Police Division mentioned it’s investigating an id theft and sufferer intimidation incident associated to this matter, and the county district lawyer’s workplace mentioned the investigation was ongoing. Milwaukee police mentioned nobody has been criminally charged at the moment.
Abduli, Morales Reyes’ lawyer, says he couldn’t have written the letter, saying he didn’t obtain formal schooling and might’t write in Spanish and doesn’t know converse English. She mentioned it was not clear whether or not he was arrested due to the letters.
“There’s actually no manner that it might be even remotely true,” Abduli mentioned. “We’re asking for a clarification and a correction from DHS to clear Ramon’s identify of something having to do with this.”
The Related Press’ Mike Balsamo, Scott Bauer and Adriana Gomez contributed to this report.
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