Brown v. Ramsay

  • Latest Update: Aug 01, 2025
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Summary

This case was brought by the ACLU and partners against the Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay on behalf of Peter Brown, a U.S. citizen, who was unlawfully detained by the county at ICE’s request. Brown’s repeated pleas that he was a U.S. citizen and could not be held on immigration charges went ignored. Brown suffered severe emotional trauma because of this experience. He languished in detention and would have been deported to Jamaica—a country to which he has no ties whatsoever—if not for the last-minute intervention of a friend who sent a copy of Brown’s birth certificate to an ICE agent. We filed suit in December 2018, and our motion for summary judgment was filed in February 2020. Five years later, on May 30, 2025, the court granted partial summary judgment in our client’s favor.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

In 2018, a natural-born U.S. citizen was unlawfully detained — and nearly deported — as a result of a Florida sheriff’s improper collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The court later found that the officers lacked probable cause and violated his Fourth Amendment rights. This case is an important win against ICE’s controversial detainers that deputize local law enforcement to carry out immigration law.

The Latest: The case was dismissed in August 2025 following a settlement.

Attorney(s):
Daniel Tilley