An illegal immigrant serving a decades-long prison sentence for murdering 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 symbol during the 2024 election campaign.
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Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, a Mexican national, is serving 39 to 102 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2024 killing of his girlfriend, Ruby Garcia, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Fox News reported.
Garcia was shot multiple times following an argument, and her body was left on the side of a road. Ortiz-Vite surrendered to police two days later and admitted to the killing.
In a handwritten complaint filed in federal court, Ortiz-Vite named Trump and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung as defendants.
He argued that Trump repeatedly highlighted his case while campaigning on illegal immigration, calling him "America's problem" and featuring his mugshot in campaign advertisements alongside references to "murderers, rapists and drug traffickers."
"I took full responsibility for my actions, but for them to use my case for political gain on TV was unjust. Humiliating," Ortiz-Vite wrote in the lawsuit.
He said the publicity led to ridicule from 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 his attorneys warned him that the case had become "high-profile" because of the national attention. "My life was now in the eyes of the public... I was now labeled a cold-blooded murderer in the eyes of the people of this nation," he wrote.
According to court records, Ortiz-Vite entered the US illegally and later received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme.
His DACA status expired in 2019. After a 2020 drunken driving arrest, he was deported to Mexico but later re-entered the US illegally. It remains unclear when he returned.
The lawsuit does 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 monetary damages and a public apology, Ortiz-Vite asked the court to grant him "naturalization to this beautiful country."
Legal experts say the case is unlikely to succeed.
Matthew Borgula, a former federal prosecutor, said prisoner lawsuits undergo an initial screening and this complaint is unlikely to survive. "The statements were substantially true, and being publicly embarrassed by a politician isn't a constitutional violation. This case should end before it begins," he said.
Former Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon also criticised the lawsuit, saying attention should remain on Ruby Garcia rather than "her killer."
