Mr. Ramirez, an INS agent for nearly 20 years, “blew the whistle” on anti-Cuban and anti-Hispanic bigotry in the Miami INS office, as well as INS supervisors’ orders to destroy all documents and computer records concerning the raid on the home of Elian Gonzalez’s Miami relatives. (Note: The INS is no longer in existence.  Its functions were reorganized and incorporated into the Department of Homeland Security.)

Mr. Rodriguez had complained of anti-Hispanic/anti-Cuban bias in the INS, which included jokes about shooting Elian, and several derogatory comments from INS Miami officials against the Cuban-American community. One poster in the INS Miami office called Cubans “lazy, loud-mouthed criminals.”  Banners were hung with the City of Miami seal and a headline reading "banana republic" and cup-holders were produced showing the image of a Cuban flag with a line slashed through it. (View document found hanging in the Personnel Supervisor’s Office at the Miami INS District Headquarters.  Personnel Supervisor Burg testified that she posted the document because she “liked it.”)

Because the INS did not trust Hispanic agents to conduct the Elian raid, Mr. Ramirez and other agents were kept in the dark about the details of the raid until the last minute and then thrust into the raid with little preparation. After the raid, Mr. Ramirez learned the INS, based on orders from Janet Reno and former Clinton INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, erased incriminating e-mail about the raid – despite Judicial Watch’s efforts and other court cases concerning the raid.

Mr. Ramirez was subject to retaliation, even death threats, for coming forward with his accusations.

Judicial Watch brought two lawsuits on behalf of Mr. Ramirez seeking a finding of discrimination against the agency and a transfer for Mr. Ramirez.  During the Ramirez v. Reno trial, Judicial Watch uncovered some major admissions on the part of INS officials. For example, former Miami INS director Robert Wallis admitted that the “proudest moment of his life” was captured in an Associated Press photograph of an INS agent holding a shotgun to the head of an unarmed protestor, Mario Miranda, during the illegal INS raid of the home of Elian’s Miami relatives.

Judicial Watch was also able to establish that former INS Commissioner Doris Meissner, at the direction of Janet Reno, obstructed justice by seeking to destroy incriminating e-mail evidence related to the raid of the home of Elian’s Miami relatives.

Three Immigration and Naturalization agents confirmed that there was anti-Cuban paraphernalia at the Miami district office, bolstering the case of Judicial Watch client Rick Ramirez who has accused the office of discrimination against Cuban Americans.

CASE STATUS

On September 20, 2002, the Government settled the case to the satisfaction of Judicial Watch’s client. 

When Judicial Watch finished presenting its evidence, Judge Richard Vitaris paved the way for Judicial Watch’s now settled civil rights lawsuit by noting "a serious problem within the INS’ Miami District office," and a "hostile work environment for employees of Cuban-American and Hispanic national origin."  The Bush Justice Department and the INS were thus required to reaffirm their commitment to a non-discriminatory workplace for its employees and, importantly, indicated they will not retaliate against Mr. Ramirez or others for exercising their rights.