An immigrant Wisconsin man falsely accused of threatening Trump can be released on bond

CHICAGO (AP) — An immigrant man who was falsely accused of threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump can be released from a Wisconsin prison on bond, an immigration judge determined Tuesday.

Ramón Morales Reyes was accused of a writing a letter threatening Trump in a blistering social media post by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The post includes Morales Reyes’ photo and an excerpt from the letter he purportedly wrote in English. But the claims quickly fell apart as Wisconsin authorities determined that Reyes, who doesn’t speak English well or write in the language, was framed.

The immigrant from Mexico was a victim in a violent 2023 attack where his bike was stolen. According to authorities, the alleged attacker, Demetric D. Scott, forged the letter to try to clear his case. Morales Reyes was set to be a witness in Scott’s July trial for armed robbery and aggravated battery.

Judge Carla Espinoza set Morales Reyes bond at $7,500 during a brief hearing at immigration court in Chicago.

“The defendant does not present a danger to the community,” she said.

Morales Reyes, 54, appeared virtually from Dodge Detention Center in Juneau, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Milwaukee. He could be released this week if the federal government does not appeal.

An attorney for the federal government did not speak at the hearing. In a statement Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said it would “continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal” of immigrants without legal status but did not respond to a question about whether government attorneys would appeal Morales Reyes’ bond.

Morales Reyes, a married father of three U.S. citizen children, works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee.

He was arrested by immigration agents last month after dropping a child off at school. He immigrated from Mexico in the 1980s and doesn’t have legal permission to be in the U.S. This year, he applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who are victims of serious crimes. Getting such a visa can take years.

Homeland Security issued a statement to reporters last week saying that although Morales Reyes was no longer considered a threat to Trump, federal attorneys would still pursue an immigration case. The government alleges that Morales Reyes reentered the U.S. times numerous times without a visa.

However, Noem’s social media post blaming Morales Reyes for an assassination attempt, which was circulated by Trump supporters, remains online.

Cain Oulahan, an attorney for Morales Reyes, said his client is a crime victim and blasted the misinformation.

“We’d like to hear an official public correction and that someone else is responsible,” he said.

Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Morales Reyes daughter spoke to reporters, saying her father is hardworking and always focused on putting food on the table and keeping a roof over the family’s heads. She said he also loved to take his children to parks or for walks and planned frequent cookouts.

“My dad is a not a threat to anyone. He is a good man who got caught up in a terrible situation,” said Anna Morales. “Now that the truth has been proven, I ask from the bottom of my heart he gets the justice he deserves. We need him more than words can explain.”

Scott, who is in the Milwaukee County Jail, is due in court Tuesday on the newer charges related to the letter, including felony witness intimidation and identity theft.