Grand Rapids police under fire from civil rights groups for Latino arrests

Civil and immigrants’ rights groups in Michigan want the state to put the Grand Rapids Police Department under a microscope.

On Tuesday, the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) filed formal complaints with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) over what they allege is a pattern of “racially discriminatory” treatment towards citizens of color, and particularly those of Latino heritage.

One complaint was filed on behalf of Jilmar Ramos-Gomez, an American citizen and Marine veteran who suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The ACLU and MIRC say that documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that GRPD officials were aware of the fact that Ramos-Gomez was a U.S. citizen when they requested that federal officials check his immigration status due to a concern of “terrorism.”

Ramos-Gomez was arrested in November 2018 after he gained illegal access to the helipad of a Grand Rapids hospital and started a small fire.

Read more: https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/04/30/grand-rapids-police-under-fire-from-civil-rights-groups-for-latino-arrests/