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U.S. citizen detained by ICE gets $190K settlement from Grand Rapids

Jilmar Ramos-Gomez was detained by immigration officials for three days before they reviewed his personal documents.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city of Grand Rapids agreed to pay Jilmar Ramos-Gomez $190,000 after police Capt. Curt Vanderkooi called immigration officials on the U.S. citizen and Marine veteran and he was detained for three days.

Grand Rapids City Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the settlement. 

The arrest and subsequent detention stemmed from an incident in November of 2018 when Ramos-Gomez was jailed for trespassing and damaging a fire alarm at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. He was held at the Kent County Jail before being transferred to a immigration facility in Battle Creek. 

A complaint of racial profiling was filed on behalf of Ramos-Gomez by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. 

Vanderkooi was suspended for two days without pay for his actions and he was directed to attend additional training. He was originally cleared of any wrongdoing by the department, but that decision was reversed by the city's civilian appeals board. 

RELATED: ACLU accuses GRPD of racially profiling Marine veteran who was arrested and nearly deported

In September, the city also approved a $125,000 settlement for Bronquel Brown, a Grand Rapids resident who was punched in the leg 29 times by a police officer. The officer involved in that case was fired. 

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