A long-time auto mechanic in the town of Froid, Montana has been swept up in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Border Patrol recently arrested Roberto Orozco-Ramirez. Orozco-Ramirez is the community’s mechanic and volunteers as a youth baseball coach. Montana Free Press’ Nora Mabie has been reporting on the community’s reaction to his arrest. She sat down with MTPR’s Elinor Smith to go over the details.
Elinor Smith: Nora, thank you so much for being here today.
Nora Mabie: Thanks for having me.
Smith: Of course. For those who don't know, Froid has a population just under 200. What can you tell us about the Orozco-Ramirez arrest and why it happened?
Mabie: Yeah, so what I learned through conversations with community members was that Border Patrol had been stationed outside of Orozco-Ramirez's business, Orozco Diesel. It's a mechanic shop, and also outside of his home.
People also said Border Patrol was following his sons and pulling them over whenever they left the house. His sons are U.S. citizens, and so I asked Border Patrol a series of questions on why they were stationed there and also what their interaction was with his sons. And I didn't get a response.
And so the county sheriff also posted that these border patrol agents were trying to serve a warrant and that he helped facilitate this arrest on Sunday. And so on Sunday Orozco-Ramirez was in Roosevelt County Jail, and then by Tuesday he was transferred to Cascade County Jail, and then on Wednesday he had his first hearing in court.
Smith: Tell me a little bit about Roberto Orozco-Ramirez. Who is he and what was his life like in Froid?
Mabie: Yeah, so Roberto is a 42-year-old father of four. He's been living in Froid for more than a decade, and he built and started his own business called Orozco Diesel. And he's a beloved member of the community.
People told me that he one time worked all night and in really cold temperatures to repair a school bus that had lost heat. People also said he was, you know, a fixture at all these community events, coming to school events, sports events. He was a coach. His four sons play. sports in the community. They go to school in the community. So people really feel attached to him and they really know him well, since it's a community of 195 people.
Smith: So Froid is a red town. The population voted predominantly for President Donald Trump. But as you said, Orozco-Ramirez and his family are very popular in the community. How are his neighbors reacting to his detention?
Mabie: 75% of people who voted in the last election in Froid voted for President Trump. So this is sort of forcing a reckoning with the policies. So people told me, you know, they were shocked to see this, first. They said they understood Trump's policies to be more about arresting and deporting criminals and gang members.
And you know, I should note that the complaint about Orozco-Ramirez says he has no criminal history, and they also said they were shocked to see his [Trump’s] immigration crackdown reach this tiny corner of rural Montana.
Smith: Can you describe what community members are doing now?
Mabie: Yeah, it's been really interesting to see everything they're doing. So on Sunday, just before he was detained, a handful of protestors had signs out near where Border Patrol was stationed supporting Orozco-Ramirez.
And then after he was in custody, people have done a lot of organizing. They've organized to write members of Montana's delegation, basically asking for them to take a closer look at this case. They have organized fundraisers for the family and ways to collect donations for his legal fees.
And then, you know, on Wednesday, 14 members from the Froid community drove seven hours one way to attend his hearing. And the hearing lasted just eight minutes and after it was over. They cried and hugged, and then they got back in their cars and they drove 400 miles home.
Smith: What are the charges Orozco-Ramirez is facing right now?
Mabie: Yeah, so he has been charged with two offenses. One is illegal reentry into the United States. His complaint alleges that he was removed by ICE in 2009 from the U.S. and then came back. And then the second charge is for threatening federal officers. It says that when Border Patrol dressed in plain clothes and in unmarked cars came to his business, he was suspicious of them. And then as they were leaving, he yelled threats at them. And then as they were driving away in their car he threw a piece of two-by-six lumber in their direction.
And I should say that both of those charges, you know, if he is found guilty of them they carry the maximum penalty of hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and years of imprisonment. There's a lot on the line for this family and this community, and at the hearing people were really nervous about what was gonna happen next.
Smith: Of course. There are a few upcoming hearings in the Orozco-Ramirez case. What can we expect to see happen next?
Mabie: Yeah, so on February 5th, he will have a preliminary hearing in Great Falls. That's where a judge will determine if there's enough evidence in his case to move forward. And then on February 9th there will be a detention hearing in Great Falls and a judge there will determine if he needs to be detained for the remaining part of his case as it plays out.
Smith: Nora, thank you so much for being here today. I so appreciate you taking the time to walk us through this situation.
Mabie: Thanks for having me.
Smith: Of course.
