US customs detains Mexican man despite valid permit to live and work

Daniel Medina Ramirez, 23, has lived and worked legally in the US for 16 years under Barack Obama's DACA policy

Protests have taken place after Daniel Ramirez Medina, who has a job and no criminal record, was arrested at his home in Seattle and later detained, despite being protected under a policy brought in by Barack Obama (screen grab)

A Mexican man who was seven-years-old when he illegally moved to the US has been arrested and detained, despite holding a valid work permit.

Now 23, Daniel Ramirez Medina, holds down a job, has no criminal record and his status is protected under a policy brought in by Barack Obama in 2012.

But US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents nonetheless raided his home in Seattle last week, placing him under arrest.

A spokeswoman for the agency said he had been taken into custody after being deemed a “risk to public safety” because he was a gang member.

She declined to elaborate on how they had established this.

Mark Rosenbaum, one of Mr Ramirez's lawyers, said he “unequivocally denies being in a gang”, but had been “repeatedly pressured” by customs agents to falsely admit to gang links while in custody.

Mr Ramirez was granted temporary permission to live and work in the US under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allows people brought to America at a young age to attend school and work without fear of deportation.

He was first granted the rights in 2014 and his status was renewed in 2016, according to a document attached to the lawsuit.

Mr Ramirez's legal team said this could be the first time under the Trump administration that a person covered by DACA had been taken into immigration custody.

The lawsuit states: “The agents who arrested and questioned Mr Ramirez were aware that he was a DACA recipient, yet they informed him that he would be arrested, detained and deported anyway, because he was not 'born in this country'.”

Mr Trump said he would scrap the DACA policy during his election campaign, but the fate of those it already covers — thought to be around 740,000 people — is not yet clear.

The US President has previously said those people were “here illegally” but “shouldn't be very worried”, adding: “I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody.”

Despite his apparent reassurance, the arrest of Mr Ramirez has sparked concerns about the future of immigrants in the US. Protests about his arrest have taken place across several states and a number of prominent figures having urged for his release.

New York Senator Chuck Schumer tweeted: “DACA recipients should not be an ICE priority. They are young people working and contributing to this great country. ICE must provide answers and release Daniel immediately. This action does nothing to make our country safe.”

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, from Seattle, meanwhile released a statement that read: “President Trump’s deportation force has struck our community and taken one of our own.

"It’s unconscionable that Daniel, who trusted the government and registered under DACA, was picked up and sent to a detention centre.

“It’s clear that these inhumane raids are anything but routine. The president is tearing apart families and striking fear into immigrant communities. People no longer feel safe in their own homes. Seattle stands with Daniel and we will not back down until he is free.”