Brandon Ortiz-Fayette is serving a 39- to 102-year prison sentence for the murder of his girlfriend, Ruby Garcia.
An illegal immigrant serving a decades-long prison sentence for killing his girlfriend has filed a federal lawsuit against US President Donald Trump, seeking $75 million in damages, a public apology and even US citizenship, claiming the president unfairly turned him into a political icon during the 2024 election campaign.Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, a Mexican national, is serving a prison sentence ranging from 39 to 102 years after pleading guilty to the 2024 murder of his girlfriend, Ruby Garcia, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Fox News reported.Garcia was shot multiple times after an argument, and her body was left on the side of the road. Ortiz-Fite surrendered to police two days later and confessed to the killing.In a handwritten complaint filed in federal court, Ortiz-Fite named Trump and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung as defendants.He said Trump repeatedly highlighted his issue during the campaign on illegal immigration, calling it “America’s problem” and showing his image in campaign ads alongside references to “murderers, rapists and drug dealers.”“I took full responsibility for my actions, but having my case used for political gain on television was unfair. It is insulting,” Ortiz-Vite wrote in the lawsuit.He said the propaganda led to ridicule by prison staff and fellow inmates, adding that he felt stripped of his dignity and reduced to his race and immigration status.
Ortiz-Vite also claimed that his lawyers warned him that the case had become “high profile” due to national attention. “My life is now in the public eye… I have now been labeled a cold-blooded killer in the eyes of the people of this nation,” he wrote.According to court records, Ortiz-Fite entered the United States illegally and later received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.His DACA status expired in 2019. After a drunk driving arrest in 2020, he was deported to Mexico but later returned to the United States illegally. It is still unclear when he returned.The lawsuit did not identify any specific legal violations, instead arguing that Trump improperly used his case as an example of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. Along with financial compensation and a public apology, Ortiz-Vet asked the court to grant him “naturalization in this beautiful country.”Legal experts say the case is unlikely to succeed.Matthew Burgola, a former federal prosecutor, said the prisoners’ claims are subject to preliminary examination and such a complaint is unlikely to stand. He added: “The statements were largely true, and being publicly embarrassed by a politician is not a constitutional violation. This case must end before it begins.”Former Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Theodore Dixon also criticized the lawsuit, saying attention should remain on Ruby Garcia rather than her “killer.”