After 100 days in Detention, Froid turns out to welcome Roberto Orozco-Ramirez home
Orozco-Ramirez’s criminal case is dismissed, but immigration proceedings could take years.
by Nora Mabie, Montana Free Press 05.22.2026 This story was adapted from The Arrest That Shook Froid newsletter.
On May 14 at about 7 p.m., as a dust storm engulfed much of northeast Montana, more than two dozen cars lined Main Street in Froid, packed with people eager to welcome home Roberto Orozco-Ramirez.After more than 100 days in detention centers across the West, Orozco-Ramirez was about to greet his neighbors who only recently learned that he was living in the country undocumented. On May 13, a federal judge ruled to release the diesel mechanic, siding with Orozco-Ramirez’s lawyers on their argument that his continued detention by various state and federal agencies — including ICE, Cascade County Detention Center and Acting Attorney General of the United States Todd Blanche — was unlawful. Liz Melbourne, who lives in Brockton, about 32 miles west of Froid, stood outside her car, her hands in her pockets.“This is what northeast Montana is like,” she said, gesturing to the people huddled in their cars as wind whipped dust into the air. “This is going to be talked about for years. I want my kids to be able to say, ‘My mom did something. She showed up.’” About 20 minutes later, Laura Christoffersen, a lawyer who was representing Orozco-Ramirez, pulled into Froid in her white SUV. Orozco-Ramirez, who had not been home since he surrendered to law enforcement in January, sat in the back seat, wearing jeans and a gray sweater. Marvin Qualley, a local farmer and school bus driver, drove a firetruck through the line of cars, escorting Christoffersen’s car like a parade. People honked, waved and cheered.
Orozco-Ramirez stepped out of the car and embraced his three younger sons, who were waiting for him outside their home. They wiped the tears from their eyes. Standing outside his home, with one hand in his pocket and the other around his eight-year-old son, Orozco- Ramirez waved as his neighbors drove by. “We love you, Orozco’s!” one woman shouted from an SUV. “Thatta boy!” a man yelled and honked as he passed.“Welcome home, Roberto!” a woman shouted from her car as children waved from the backseat.
As his three younger brothers beamed, Roberto Orozco Lazcano, Orozco- Ramirez’s 19-year-old son, walked over to Christoffersen, still sitting in her car. Christoffersen, who grew up in Froid, specializes in probate, oil, gas and agricultural law. Prior to Orozco- Ramirez’s arrest, she had no experience on immig...
