When Border Patrol comes to town
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What prompted the discussion about Border Patrol in Freud, Montana?
Last month, Nora Mabee, a reporter in Montana, was looking around on Facebook for story ideas.
In Montana, particularly in rural areas, Facebook is where a lot of news is shared.
And a post from the local sheriff caught her eye. He said that Border Patrol agents had rocked up outside a business in the very small town of Freud, Montana, to take someone in, and that he, the sheriff, was trying to assist them.
But then, at the end of his post, he added this. It's important to note that this man was not a threat, not a danger to his community, has no criminal history, and has been a great member of this community. Which... I just haven't seen a statement like that from law enforcement, particularly in a really, you know, conservative area that typically has a lot of support for all types of law enforcement, Border Patrol included.
Coming up on today explained the story of Freud, Montana, a town where most people voted for President Trump and how residents reacted when reality hit home. Support for this show comes from the Working Forest Initiative. The working forest industry is committed to planting more trees than they harvest. More than one billion seedlings are planted in U.S. working forests every year. From biologists to GIS analysts, hiring managers, accountants, and more, working forest professionals have dedicated their focus towards sustainability, using their expertise to help ensure a healthy future for America's forests. You can learn more about Working Forest Initiatives at WorkingForestInitiatives.com. WorkingForestInitiatives.com.
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This is Today Explained. I'm Nora Mabee, and I'm a reporter for Montana Free Press. It's Friday at 9 p.m. and we're pulling into Freud. So I drove into Freud on a Friday night with my colleague Lauren Miller. A big Freud sign. Freud is a deeply conservative rural agricultural community. In the last election, 75% of voters there supported President Donald Trump. Most farmers grow things like peas, lentils, canola, and wheat. The main street of the town was empty. I know they're playing basketball. I wonder if everybody's at the high school. Basketball is life in these tiny rural communities. I think this is it. We're here. The town has just 195 people, but in the stands at this high school basketball game, there was easily 250 people there.
This game was really emotional because two of the players on this high school team, their father, Roberto Orozco Ramirez, was recently arrested by Border Patrol. And his arrest really shook this tiny town of Freud.
It's honestly heartbreaking to see such a good family go through this because they helped the community in many ways.
People in the stands were wearing his Diesel Shop logo on their sweatshirts. The basketball team warmed up with some shirts that said Erosco on the back and they had the Diesel Shop logo on the front. And some people were wearing bracelets that said Erosco Strong. So it just really showed, you know, the boys that support was all around them. I just want to help out in any way possible and show awareness that they don't deserve this treatment. Tell me about this man, Mr. Orozco. So he is a 42-year-old father of four. He has lived in Freud, Montana for more than a decade, long enough to build his own diesel shop where he fixes semi-trucks, school buses, tractors, and really provides an invaluable service to farmers in the area.
He's also a Little League coach and coach.
How did the community react to the arrest of a local resident?
He came to the US at some point illegally. Court documents say that in 2009, he was removed by ICE and deported. At some point, he came back. On January 25th, Orozco Ramirez was arrested by Border Patrol, and Orozco's arrest has really shaken the residents there.
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