Reuters: immigration agents arrest 'Dreamer' in Seattle (The Hill)

Reuters: immigration agents arrest 'Dreamer' in Seattle
BY NIKITA VLADIMIROV - 02/14/17 06:49 PM EST

An immigrant from Mexico who has obtained a work permit since being brought into the country illegally as a child was arrested by authorities in Seattle, Reuters reported Tuesday. The arrest could mark the first immigration detention of its sort in President Trump's administration.

According to the report, the arrest of a 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who originally showed up at Ramirez's residence to arrest the man's father.

Ramirez was a beneficiary of former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was designed to protect illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation and make them eligible to work legally.

DACA was established in 2012 and applies to approximately 750,000 immigrants, often called "Dreamers," Reuters noted.

President Trump has pledged to strengthen the U.S. immigration policy and significantly reduce illegal immigration within the country.

According to the report, Ramirez filed a legal challenge to his detention on Monday, arguing that the action was illegal due to his legitimate work permit. He also does not have a criminal record.

Ethan Dettmer, an attorney representing Ramirez, said that he hopes "this detention was a mistake."

Hundreds of immigrants have been detained and arrested during the last week, as the administration seeks to ramp up its deportation efforts.