Grand Rapids to pay $190K to Latino US citizen held by ICE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids will pay a $190,000 settlement to a Latino American war veteran who was wrongfully detained by federal immigration officials.

The City Commission unanimously approved the payment to Jilmar Ramos-Gomez on Tuesday to resolve a Michigan Department of Civil Rights complaint.

Customs Enforcement held Ramos-Gomez for three days last December before releasing the Michigan-born U.S. citizen. Police Capt. Curtis VanderKooi served a 20-hour, unpaid suspension for violating department policy after he alerted the federal agency about Ramos-Gomez’ arrest at a hospital.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center filed the complaint on Ramos-Gomez’s behalf in April, saying VanderKooi discriminated against him based on his race, violating the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.