Bond set for Milwaukee immigrant who is the victim of Trump threat setup

An immigrant living in Milwaukee who is facing deportation after a man admitted to sending letters threatening to kill President Donald Trump under the immigrant’s name has been granted bond. 

An immigration judge in Chicago set bond for Ramon Morales Reyes at $7,500 Tuesday morning, according to his attorney Cain Oulahan. 

“It was what we were aiming for,” Oulahan said. “It’s the right, the just and fair decision, is for him to have a bond.” 

Morales Reyes, 54, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on May 22. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem put out a public statement announcing his arrest and said Morales Reyes wrote a letter threatening to kill Trump.

But that story soon fell apart.

According to prosecutors in Wisconsin, Morales Reyes was set up by a Milwaukee man involved in a criminal case in which Morales Reyes was a victim of an armed robbery and assault. Demetric Scott was charged last week with identity theft and intimidating a witness for his alleged scheme to use a fake threat to Trump to engineer Morales Reyes’ deportation.

Scott’s aim, according to the complaint, was to block Morales Reyes from testifying against him at an upcoming criminal trial.

Morales Reyes has been in custody at the ICE detention facility in Dodge County since his arrest. Noem’s statement identifying him as a person threatening the president remains up on the DHS website despite requests that it be removed.

Morales Reyes is from Mexico and has been living in the United States for almost 40 years. He has three children and works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee, according to Oulahan.

Oulahan said he spoke to his family Tuesday and they were “relieved.” He said they plan to post his bond this week.

However, DHS could appeal the decision within one business day.

“If they appeal within one business day, we won’t be able to get him out, and we’ll have to wait and fight the appeal while he’s detained,” Oulahan said. 

A prior U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement said Morales Reyes had entered the country illegally at least nine times from 1998 to 2005 and that he had a criminal record. A Tuesday statement from Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin didn’t say if the agency plans to appeal the decision.

“While this criminal illegal alien is no longer under investigation for threats against the President, he is in the country illegally with previous arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct with domestic abuse,” McLaughlin stated. 

A July 10 hearing at immigration court in Chicago will be held only if there is a federal appeal or if Morales Reyes is unable to post bond, according to Oulahan.

Morales Reyes still faces deportation. If he posts his bond, he will be assigned another judge in immigration court in Chicago.

Morales Reyes has been working to get his U-visa, or a “U nonimmigrant status” for people who are “victims of certain crimes,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Scott charged with identity theft

Scott has been in custody at the Milwaukee County Criminal Justice Facility awaiting trial for armed robbery and battery charges filed in 2023, according to the complaint. Detectives were able to listen in on recorded calls from the facility as Scott laid out his plan. 

“This dude is a god—- illegal immigrant, and they just need to pick his a– up,” Scott said on one call. 

“And the judge will agree cause if he gets picked up by ICE, there won’t be a jury trial so they will probably dismiss it that day,” he said on the call. “That’s my plan.”

Scott, 52, was charged with identify theft, intimidating a witness and two counts of bail jumping last week Monday.