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An illegal immigrant serving a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of a Michigan woman is suing President Donald Trump, alleging he faced humiliation when his case was used as a political talking point, and is demanding $75 million, a public apology, and U.S. citizenship.
Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, who was previously deported from the United States, is serving a sentence of 39 to 102 years in prison for killing Ruby Garcia in March 2024.
Garcia’s body had several gunshot wounds and was found dumped along a road in Grand Rapids. The pair were in a romantic relationship and were engaged in an argument at the time of the slaying.
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Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, an illegal immigrant convicted of killing a Michigan woman, is suing President Donald Trump for using his case during a campaign rally. Ortiz-Vite is seeking $75 million, a public apology and U.S. citizenship. (Getty Images; Kent County jail)
In a handwritten complaint filed in federal court, Ortiz-Vite named Trump and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung as defendants.
Digital has reached out to the White House.
Ortiz-Vite’s case garnered national attention and was highlighted when Trump, who made combating illegal immigration a large part of his campaign, visited Grand Rapids in 2024. During his remarks, Trump labeled Ortiz-Vite as “America’s problem.”
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Brandon Ortiz-Vite, who is currently being held at the Kent County Jail in Grand Rapids, is being charged with murder and other crimes after the body of 25-year-old Ruby Garcia was discovered on U.S. 131 in downtown Grand Rapids and identified by investigators. (Mavi Garcia, Kent County Jail)
He also featured Ortiz-Vite’s mugshot in commercials as an example of the “murderers, rapists , and drug traffickers” who resided illegally in the United States, The Midwesterner reported.
He was mocked by prison staff and other inmates, he said.
“I was put into a category. Who I was as a person no longer mattered! What only mattered was my race,” Ortiz-Vite wrote. “My case and immigration status! Once again, it belittled me, shattered my dignity and what I was as a person.”
“The shame it brought to my family name is a reality I have to live with now,” he added. “I took full responsibility for my actions but for them to use my case for political gain on TV was unjust. Humiliating. When I thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. I was center stage in front of a nation, public scrutiny at its finest!”
Ortiz-Vite, who acted as his own attorney, said his case came under intense media coverage, resulting in him living in a “nightmare”.
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Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally with family members during the early-morning hours of election day in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“It all became clear to me when I first met with my court-appointed attorneys. They explained how my case had now gotten blown out of proportion and was now a high-profile case!” he wrote. “The shock in their eyes and the tears from mine were a reaction to my realization that I was living everyone’s worst nightmare! To be publicly infamous—a target! To the United States of America, from here everything went downhill. I was now labeled a cold-blooded murderer in the eyes of the people of this nation.”
“The anxiety and despair I felt compares to no other,” he added.
Matthew Borgula, a criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, said the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, citing a range of facotrs, including presidential immunity.
“Federal law requires courts to screen prisoner suits before anyone is served. This complaint will likely not survive that screening,” Borgula told Digital. “Also, Presidential immunity covers official acts, and campaign statements can fall outside it — but this suit fails for more basic reasons.”
Borgula noted that Trump’s statements on the Ortiz-Vite’s case were “substantially true, and being publicly embarrassed by a politician isn’t a constitutional violation. This case should end before it begins.”
Tudor Dixon, a former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate, called the lawsuit an example of arrogance and entitlement.
“As long as we have Democrats jetting to other countries to coddle criminal illegal aliens over margaritas, this level of arrogance and entitlement from convicted murderers will continue,” Dixon told Digital. “It’s time lawmakers stand with the Ruby Garcias of the world instead of her killer.”
After entering the U.S. illegally, Ortiz-Vite remained under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until his status expired on May 10, 2019, MLive.com reported.
“She would brighten up the room with her beautiful smile and laugh,” Mavi Garcia said of her sister, Ruby. “She loved to travel, was dedicated to her work and enjoyed being with her family on her free time.” (Mavi Garcia)
He was deported following a 2020 arrest for driving while intoxicated. It was unclear when he re-entered the U.S. illegally.
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The complaint didn’t cite any legal violations, instead blaming Trump for labeling him as an example of the Biden administration’s border policies.
Ortiz-Vite eventually said he “stood tall” and took responsibility for his actions.
“Because I was remorseful for my actions on the 26th, I turned myself in and confessed to the murder of my partner at the time,” he wrote. “Knowing the consequences it would bring, I stood tall and was respectful when asked about the actions that took place on the night of March 24th, 2024.”
He is seeking $75 million, a public apology, and “naturalization to this beautiful country.”
Despite its lack of merit, Borgula, the lawyer, noted that the lawsuit appears to be a window into what it’s like to become a talking point in a national campaign.
“While the plaintiff may feel aggrieved, I don’t see that a federal court can offer a remedy,” he said. “He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Once you’ve done that, absent overturning the conviction, I don’t see a legal avenue for collecting damages on a theory that your conviction was unfair.”
