Michigan woman reports being assaulted to police, now faces deportation
Reported Detroit assault victim faces deportation
Veronica Ramirez-Verduzco, a 49-year-old mother of two adult sons, both born in the U.S., is about to be deported to Mexico. Christine Sauv? from the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center says they are not representing her case but are closely monitoring the situation.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A mother of two is facing deportation after she reported being assaulted.
Her attorney claims she reported the alleged assault to the police in good faith, but now she finds herself behind bars.
Big picture view:
Veronica Ramirez-Verduzco, a 49-year-old mother of two adult sons, both born in the U.S., is about to be deported to Mexico.
Christine Sauvé from the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center says they are not representing her case but are closely monitoring the situation.
"This was a person in this case who was reporting a crime. She was a victim coming forward to a local law enforcement agency," Sauvé said. "We’re seeing how it’s one more example of how local law enforcement is increasingly involved with federal immigration enforcement in dangerous ways."
Ramirez-Verduzco's attorney, Lisa Dwyer, stated in a July 1 sentencing memorandum that the situation began months ago.
Ramirez-Verduzco was working at an assisted living facility in Belleville when an employee began verbally harassing her. The harassment continued for weeks and eventually escalated.
Dwyer claims the employee "yanked her hair and threw her to the floor, punching her repeatedly in the face."
She received treatment at the hospital.
Although the employee was suspended, they later returned to work and began threatening Ramirez-Verduzco again. She reported the threats to her boss and filed a police report with Van Buren Township Police Department.
The backstory:
On March 21, 2025, Ramirez-Verduzco was fired. As she left and drove away, she was "thrown against an unmarked SUV, cuffed, and driven away."
Dwyer says that on July 8, she was charged in federal court for entering the U.S. illegally, sentenced to time served, and is now in ICE custody.
The employee was never charged.
"This has a chilling effect on local residents, making them feel uncomfortable reporting crimes, which overall reduces public safety for everyone in the community," Dwyer said.
Sauvé emphasizes that the center's role is to ensure as many immigrants as possible know their rights.
"Our laws entitle everyone to a safe workplace, free of unlawful harassment like the kind reported in Veronica’s situation, regardless of their immigration status," Sauvé said.
Dig deeper:
Employment laws are meant to ensure workplace safety, she says. Until employers are held accountable and local law enforcement work is separate from federal immigration enforcement, situations like Ramirez-Verduzco’s will continue to arise and spread fear.
"Undocumented immigrants are facing increasingly higher risks of retaliation in this current environment," Sauvé added.
What's next:
Dwyer says Ramirez-Verduzco will be deported, but her sons are determined to secure her a home in a border town where they can visit her daily.