Milwaukee family takes legal action against U.S. government for man framed in Trump assassination
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The family of a Milwaukee man framed with threatening to kill President Donald Trump is preparing to file a lawsuit against the federal government.
Family and attorneys for Ramon Morales-Reyes announced Friday that they filed a claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act for emotional distress caused by lies from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
"He's been going through depression, anxiety. He doesn't like going out anymore," said his daughter, Ana Morales.
Morales-Reyes' children were in tears as they described the pain their family has endured since he was arrested for a crime he did not commit.
"It was hard seeing your dad all over social media, being posted as some sort of assassin," said his son, Antonio Morales. "That's just not who my father is."
Demetric Scott (left), Ramon Morales-Reyes (right)
Morales-Reyes was arrested by ICE officers in Milwaukee on May 22, 2025, after he was falsely accused of sending a letter written in English that discussed immigration policy and threatened the President of the United States.
The U.S Department of Homeland Security published photos of Morales-Reyes online on May 25, 2025, linking him to the crime.
Days after his arrest, investigators quickly determined Morales-Reyes was framed by Demetric Scott as a form of witness intimidation.
Morales-Reyes could not read or write English, and at the time, he was planning to testify against Scott for robbing him in 2023.
"Investigators, local and from Secret Service, interviewed him and realized he did not write that letter, and the publication went up after that," said Cain Oulahan, Morales-Reyes' immigration attorney.
Morales-Reyes was released from Dodge County Jail custody a month later, but as an undocumented immigrant, he could still face deportation.
Scott was sentenced in February to 16.5 years in prison.
Now, Morales-Reyes' family is seeking $5.5 million in damages from the federal government for their numerous online posts accusing him.
"This is a lie, and they knew it was a lie," said Attorney Mark Thomsen, who is representing the Morales-Reyes family. "The lie is still up. The lie went up on May 25, 2025. They haven't taken it down."
The family wants a formal apology for the hurt this situation has caused them, although they do they believe it was intentional.
"They saw an opportunity and they took advantage of it," his daughter said. "They went ahead and used it as, this is an immigrant trying to assassinate the President, this is what they come and do - when that's not true."
Morales-Reyes' children said threatening comments online have made their father afraid to be in public.
"I just want my dad to have his confidence back, his goofiness back, just the man who he used to be," said his son.
They hope that legal action will help clear his name.
"We're asking for the federal government to do the right thing," said Thomsen.
According to Thomsen, the Department of Homeland Security has six months to respond to the legal claim. At that point, a lawsuit can be filed.
Morales-Reyes is currently fighting to stay in the U.S. through immigration court. He has a hearing in December.
He also has a pending application for a U-Visa, a special immigration status for certain crime victims.
Attorney Oulahan said it could take eight years until that's granted due to backlogs in the immigration system.
CBS 58 contacted DHS for comment and has not received a response.