@sacramentourbanmedia916: An undocumented immigrant serving decades in prison for the 2024 killing of a Michigan woman has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump, claiming his case was exploited for political purposes and seeking $75 million in damages, a public apology, and U.S. citizenship. Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, is serving a sentence of 39 to 102 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Ruby Garcia. Garcia was found fatally shot multiple times and left along a roadside in Grand Rapids after the couple argued in March 2024. In a handwritten complaint filed without an attorney, Ortiz-Vite names Trump and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung as defendants. He argues that Trump repeatedly used his case during the 2024 presidential campaign as an example of violent crime committed by people living in the U.S. illegally. During a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Trump referred to Ortiz-Vite as “America’s problem” and featured his mugshot in campaign advertisements highlighting crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Ortiz-Vite claims the attention turned him into a national target, saying he was ridiculed by prison staff and fellow inmates and that his dignity was destroyed. “I was put into a category. Who I was as a person no longer mattered,” Ortiz-Vite wrote. “What only mattered was my race, my case and my immigration status.” He also said his attorneys informed him the case had become high-profile because of the political spotlight, describing the experience as a “nightmare” that left him feeling publicly disgraced. Despite those claims, Ortiz-Vite acknowledged responsibility for Garcia’s death, writing that he surrendered to authorities, confessed to the killing, and accepted the consequences of his actions. Still, he argues that using his case in campaign messaging was unjust and humiliating. The lawsuit does not identify a specific legal violation but asks the court to award $75 million, require Trump to issue a public apology, and grant Ortiz-Vite U.S. citizenship. Legal experts say the case faces steep obstacles. Former federal prosecutor Matthew Borgula told Fox News Digital the complaint is unlikely to survive the court’s required initial review of prisoner lawsuits, noting that Trump’s statements were largely based on public facts and that embarrassment caused by political speech generally does not create a constitutional claim. Ortiz-Vite had previously been enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until his status expired in 2019. He was deported after a 2020 drunken driving arrest, later reentered the United States illegally, and was arrested following Garcia’s murder.#fyp #viral

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Wednesday 22 July 2026 03:22:48 GMT