Case: 1:17-cv-03258 Document #: 83 Filed: 09/06/17 Page 1 of 34 PageID #:933

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
EASTERN DIVISION
WILMER CATALAN-RAMIREZ,

)
)
Plaintiff,
)
)
v.
)
)
RICARDO WONG, Field Office Director,
)
Chicago, U.S. Immigration and Customs
)
Enforcement (“ICE”), ICE AGENT
)
JASON HINES, ICE AGENT
)
PATRICK RANSFORD, ICE AGENT
)
JAY WARRAN, ICE AGENT JASON
)
LAFERRIERE, ICE AGENT ERIK POWE,
)
ICE AGENT FRANCISCO TREVINO, ICE
)
AGENT CHRISTOPHER STRUHART,
)
MCHENRY COUNTY,
)
MCHENRY COUNTY SHERIFF BILL PRIM, )
CHIEF OF CORRECTIONS DAVID
)
DEVANE, CORRECT CARE SOLUTIONS, )
HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR MIKE
)
KEEGAN, SUPERINTENDENT EDDIE
)
JOHNSON, COMMANDER CHRISTOPHER )
KENNEDY, COMMANDER ALFRED
)
NAGODE, CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER
)
RYAN KING (#18362),
)
CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER TOMAS
)
ROSALES (#14583), CHICAGO POLICE
)
OFFICER ANGEL COLON (#13373),
)
CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER SAMUEL
)
LOPEZ (#5628), and CITY OF CHICAGO,
)
)
Defendants.
)

Case No. 17-cv-3258

The Hon. Joan H. Lefkow
Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT1
1

The amendments to this complaint apply solely to the CPD Defendants and the ICE
Defendants. Plaintiff has not changed any of the factual allegations related to the CCS
Defendants and the County Defendants. Plaintiff is currently in settlement negotiations with the
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Plaintiff Wilmer Catalan-Ramirez, by his undersigned attorneys, for his complaint against
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) Field Office Director Ricardo Wong, ICE’s
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Agent Jason Hines, HSI Agent Patrick Ransford, HSI
Agent Jay Warran, HSI Agent Jason Laferriere, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations
(ERO) Agent Erik Powe, ERO Agent Francisco Trevino, ERO Agent Christopher Struhart,
McHenry County, McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim, Chief of Corrections David Devane,
Correct Care Solutions, Health Administrator Mike Keegan, Superintendent Eddie Johnson,
Commander Christopher J. Kennedy, Commander Alfred Nagode, Chicago Police Officer Ryan
King, Chicago Police Officer Tomas Rosales, Chicago Police Officer Angel Colon, Chicago
Police Officer Samuel Lopez, and the City of Chicago, alleges as follows:
INTRODUCTION
1.

This action is brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the authority of Bivens v.

Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), to redress the
deprivation under color of law of Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s rights as secured by the First, Fourth,
Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
2.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez, devoted partner and the father of young U.S. citizen

children, was the primary breadwinner for his family as a mechanic in a body shop. He resided
with his children and their mother in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago.
3.

On January 15, 2017, as Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was leaving a restaurant in the

Back of the Yards neighborhood, he was the victim of a drive-by shooting. He sustained
multiple gunshot wounds that fractured his right skull and right shoulder, a traumatic brain

CCS and County Defendants and hopes to resolve the claims against these Defendants in the
near future.
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injury, and partial paralysis on his left side. These injuries all require medical attention and
rehabilitative services. As a result of these injuries, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez requires a left-side
ankle brace and proper sneaker footwear to safely walk. He also requires multiple medications
daily and physical therapy three times a week. Because he does not have use of his left arm, Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez cannot feed, bathe, or dress himself properly without assistance. As a result of
his traumatic brain injury, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez also lives with cognitive deficits.
4.

On March 27, 2017, seven ICE agents forced entry into Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s

home without a warrant or consent. During this illegal raid, several ICE agents slammed Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez on the ground and fractured his left shoulder, despite his pleas of pain and
repeated notifications of his shooting-related injuries. The agents’ use of force against Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez was wholly unnecessary and disproportionate as Mr. Catalan-Ramirez did not
resist in any way when the agents arrested him.
5.

As a result of the agents’ actions, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez sustained several injuries

and continues to experience a deep sense of pain, humiliation, and fear.
6.

Upon information and belief, ICE conducted this raid based on false information

obtained from the Chicago Police Department’s Gang Database and/or another mechanism for
tracking suspected gang members indicating that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was a member of a
Chicago street gang. Mr. Catalan Ramirez is not, nor has he ever been a member of a Chicago
street gang.
7.

After the raid, ICE took Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to McHenry County Adult

Correctional Facility (“McHenry County Jail”), where he is currently detained. The McHenry
County Jail has a contract with ICE to hold immigration detainees pending the resolution of their
removal cases. While at McHenry County Jail, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is being denied necessary

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medical care for the injuries he sustained during the January 2017 shooting and the additional
injuries sustained as a result of the ICE agents’ actions. As a result, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is
experiencing a number of medical issues including but not limited to extreme pain in his left
shoulder and arm, losing sight in his left eye, and losing range of motion on the left side of his
body. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez spends most of the day isolated in his cell due to the pain and his
inability to safely walk without his left-side ankle brace and proper sneaker footwear.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
8.

This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331.

9.

Venue is proper in this district under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b) because the events

giving rise to the claims asserted in this complaint occurred in this judicial district.
PARTIES
Plaintiff
10.

Plaintiff Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is an immigrant of Latin American descent and

resident of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has been detained by ICE at the McHenry
County Jail in Woodstock, Illinois since March 27, 2017. Under the Americans with Disabilities
Act, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez qualifies as a person with a serious disability.
Defendants
ICE Defendants
11.

Defendant Ricardo Wong was at all times mentioned herein the Field Office

Director of the Chicago ICE Field Office. At all times relevant to the events at issue in this case,
Defendant Wong was acting under color of authority of the Department of Homeland Security.
Defendant Wong oversees the Chicago ICE Field Office’s functions and operations and the
immigration detainees within its jurisdiction. Upon information and belief, Defendant Wong

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was the final policy-making authority for the raid of Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s home and is legally
responsible for the violations against Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as alleged herein. Defendant Wong is
also responsible for the transportation and oversight of immigration detainees in McHenry
County Jail. He is sued in his individual and official capacity.
12.

Defendants Agent Jason Hines, Agent Patrick Ransford, Agent Jay Warran, Agent

Jason Laferriere, Agent Erik Powe, Agent Francisco Trevino, and Agent Christopher Struhart are
officials of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At all times relevant to the events
at issue in this case, these Defendants were acting under color of authority of the Department of
Homeland Security. On information and belief, these ICE agents were onsite at Mr. CatalanRamirez’s home and were personally involved in the violations against Mr. Catalan-Ramirez.
They are sued in their individual capacities.
McHenry County Defendants
13.

Defendant Bill Prim is the Sheriff of McHenry County. At all times relevant to

the events at issue in this case, Defendant Prim was employed by the McHenry County Sheriff’s
Department in the capacity of Sheriff. As such, he was acting under color of law. At all times
relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendant Prim promulgated rules, regulations,
polices, and procedures as Sheriff of McHenry County for the provision of certain health care by
medical personnel and correctional officers to detainees at the McHenry Jail. He is sued here in
his official capacity.
14.

Defendant David Devane is the Chief of Corrections at McHenry County Jail. At

all times relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendant Devane was employed by the
McHenry County Sheriff’s Department. As such, he was acting under color of law. At all times
relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendant Devane was responsible for implementing

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the policies and procedures promulgated by Defendant Prim, supervising all staff, and managing
all aspects of Jail operations. He is sued here in his official capacity.
15.

Defendant McHenry County is a county of the State of Illinois. It oversees the

McHenry County Sheriff’s Department, which, in turn, operates the McHenry County Jail.
Correct Care Solutions Defendants
16.

Defendant Correct Care Solutions (“CCS”) is a corporation headquartered in

Nashville, Tennessee transacting business in Illinois. CCS, pursuant to a contract with McHenry
County, provides medical and mental health evaluation, care, and treatment to detainees at
McHenry County Jail. At all times relevant to the events at issue in this case, CCS was
responsible for the implementation, oversight, and supervision of policies and practices at
McHenry County Jail related to the provision of medical and mental health care. As an agent of
McHenry County, CCS was at all times relevant to the events at issue in this case acting under
color of law by and through its lawful agents, including the doctor and nurses who work at the
Jail.
17.

Defendant Mike Keegan is the Health Administrator at McHenry County Jail and

was employed by CCS during the relevant period. At all times relevant to the events at issue in
this case, Defendant Keegan was acting under color of law and within the scope of his
employment with CCS. Defendant Keegan was and is responsible for the medical care,
treatment, and welfare of Mr. Catalan-Ramirez while he is detained at the Jail, and he has failed
in that responsibility. Defendant Keegan is sued here in his official capacity.
CPD Defendants
18.

Defendant Eddie Johnson is the Superintendent of the Chicago Police

Department. At all times relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendant Johnson was

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employed by the Chicago Police Department. As such, he was acting under color of law. At all
times relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendant Johnson promulgated rules,
regulations, polices, and procedures at the Chicago Police Department. Defendant Johnson is
responsible for supervising all CPD officers and managing all operations at the CPD. He is sued
here in his official capacity.
19.

Defendant Christopher J. Kennedy is the Commander of the Gang Investigations

Division and Defendant Alfred Nagode is the Deputy Chief of the Gang Enforcement Division.
At all times relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendants Kennedy and Nagode were
employed by the Chicago Police Department. As such, they were acting under color of law. At
all times relevant to the events at issue in this case, Defendants Kennedy and Nagode were in
charge of maintaining and updating the CPD’s Gang Database. They are sued here in their
official and individual capacities.
20.

Defendant Chicago Police Department Officers Ryan King, Tomas Rosales,

Angel Colon, and Samuel Lopez were employees of the Chicago Police Department during the
relevant time period. At all times relevant to the events at issue in this case, these defendants
were acting under color of law and within the scope of their employment with the Chicago Police
Department. These defendants wrongfully labeled Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as a Chicago street gang
member and included him in CPD’s Gang Database. These defendants are sued here in their
individual capacities.
21.

Defendant City of Chicago is and at all times mentioned herein was a

municipality organized and operating under the statutes of the State of Illinois.

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FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
The Raid
22.

On the morning of March 27, 2017, Defendants Agent Jason Hines, Agent Erik

Powe, and Agent Francisco Trevino approached Celene Adame, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s partner,
outside her front yard. These ICE agents did not identify themselves to Ms. Adame. They were
wearing bullet proof vests with “police” written on the vests. They presented a picture to Ms.
Adame and asked whether she recognized the person in the picture. Assuming that they were
local police, Ms. Adame replied that she did not recognize the person in the picture. The men
then asked her where she was going and she explained that she was going to drop off her
children at the school across the street.
23.

When Ms. Adame returned home, the same men were inside her walled yard and

on the exterior stairs approaching her residence on the third floor of the apartment building. The
men asked her again if she recognized the person in the picture, and she again replied that she
did not. The men then asked if they could speak with her husband, and she explained that they
could not because he was sleeping. She politely asked the men to leave.
24.

Ms. Adame then heard her three-year-old son crying inside the apartment and

yelling “mama,” so she opened the door to let herself in. When she opened the door, she saw
that two different ICE agents were already inside her apartment. Ms. Adame believes that these
men entered her apartment through the kitchen door in the back, which she left unlocked.
25.

When she was standing by the door, Ms. Adame also noticed that there were two

additional ICE agents outside going up to the attic. The attic is part of the building, next to the
porch, and can be reached by climbing up some steps.

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26.

When Ms. Adame opened the door and saw the two agents already inside her

apartment, she turned toward the agents standing beside her and asked them, “what are you
doing here? Can you please leave?” The agents ignored her and went inside the apartment. The
agents did not ask for permission before entering her apartment. Ms. Adame did not give them
permission to enter, nor did any other resident of the home. The ICE agents also did not present
Ms. Adame a warrant to enter her apartment.
27.

When she entered the apartment, the two agents who were already inside had

flashlights and were going room by room—they checked the bathroom, the children’s bedroom,
and Ms. Adame’s and Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s bedroom.
28.

One of the ICE agents who is Latino asked Ms. Adame, “where are the guns and

drugs?” Ms. Adame replied, “what guns or drugs?” She repeatedly told him that the man they
were looking for is not her husband, and that they were looking for a different person.
29.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was asleep in his bedroom. ICE agents went to the bedroom

and tried to wake up Mr. Catalan-Ramirez. Ms. Adame also approached the bedroom. The ICE
agents flashed their flashlight on Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s face and pulled the covers off him. Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez woke up and stood up with one leg and slowly hobbled out to the living room
because he was unable to walk properly without his brace and sneakers.
30.

The ICE agents asked for Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s and Ms. Adame’s identification.

Assuming they were police because the ICE agents never identified themselves, Ms. Adame
provided the men with Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s birth certificate and copy of his passport.
31.

Ms. Adame repeatedly asked the ICE agents if they had a warrant. She also asked

the agents who they were and why they were here. The ICE agents never answered. Upon
information and belief, the ICE agents did not have a warrant that permitted them to enter or

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search Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s home or to detain him without voluntary consent or exigent
circumstances.
32.

At some point, while they were questioning Mr. Catalan-Ramirez, the Agent

Jason Hines, Agent Patrick Ransford, and Agent Erik Powe began to surround Mr. CatalanRamirez.
33.

Fearing an arrest, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez told the agents in English that he is sick

and that he is paralyzed on his left side. He politely asked that if they were going to arrest him,
to please handcuff him in the front.
34.

One of the agents took Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s right hand and put his arm behind

his back. Another agent took Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s left hand and tried to put his arm behind his
back, but because his left arm is partially paralyzed, the arm was hard to maneuver. At that
point, the ICE agents slammed Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to the floor. Agents Hines, Ransford, and
Powe pinned him to the ground. One of these agents kneed him in the back. Mr. CatalanRamirez again asked that his hands be handcuffed in the front rather than the back because of his
injuries. Ignoring his pleas, an agent twisted Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s arm and handcuffed him
tightly from the back. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez begged the agents to stop, yelling “mi brazo”, “mi
brazo,” “quebra mi brazo” (you are breaking my arm). The agents also slammed his head on the
floor, causing him immediate pain due to his prior skull fracture and traumatic brain injury.
Crying, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez tried to tell the agents about the pain in both his head and shoulder,
but they did not appear to believe him.
35.

While Agents Hines, Ransford, and Powe were aggressively arresting Mr.

Catalan-Ramirez, another three agents or so grabbed Ms. Adame, threw her on the sofa, and
attempted to forcibly hold her on the sofa. While she was witnessing the agents’ brutal attack on

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her husband, Ms. Adame explained to the agents in Spanish that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez had been a
victim of a crime and that half of his body was paralyzed. At least one of the ICE agents spoke
Spanish and clearly understood what she was saying.
36.

When Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was on the ground being handcuffed, he yelled out to

Ms. Adame to film. Ms. Adame eventually retrieved her phone from the kitchen and began
taping the arrest. The ICE agents ordered her to stop taping and tried to take her phone away,
but she told them no and continued taping. After she began taping, the agents stopped
questioning Mr. Catalan-Ramirez.
37.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s and Ms. Adame’s three-year-old son witnessed the ICE

agents’ arrest of his father. He was crying, screaming, and appeared frightened. The ICE agents
yelled at him to go to his room, but he stayed in the living room with his parents. He repeatedly
asked the ICE agents to let his father go. Their son continues to have nightmares regarding the
ICE raid and the arrest of his father in which he wakes up late at night frightened and screaming
for his father.
38.

As a result of the home raid and the ICE agents’ brutality, both Ms. Adame and

her three-year old son have suffered trauma and emotional distress. Both are now fearful of
police and experience constant anxiety.
39.

After the ICE agents arrested Mr. Catalan-Ramirez, they grabbed him from

behind and partly carried him away to their car. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez could not walk properly
without the use of his ankle brace, and so two agents had to lift him up by his arms, causing him
further pain in his left shoulder. The agents would not let him bring his ankle brace. The agents
also would not let Mr. Catalan-Ramirez bring all of his necessary medications. Mr. CatalanRamirez was taken out of the apartment wearing nothing but sandals, shorts, and a T-shirt.

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40.

At no time before placing Mr. Catalan-Ramirez under arrest did the ICE agents

ask Mr. Catalan-Ramirez about his legal right to be in the United States, nor did Mr. CatalanRamirez tell the agents anything about his immigration status.
41.

After the ICE agents placed Mr. Catalan-Ramirez in their car, he continued to cry

from all the pain he was experiencing. The ICE agents then drove Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to the
emergency room at Loyola Hospital. The doctor at Loyola Hospital diagnosed Mr. CatalanRamirez with a fractured left shoulder and recommended that he see an orthopedic specialist
immediately to get treatment.
42.

After the hospital, the ICE agents drove Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to the ICE field

office for processing. While there, one ICE agent asked Mr. Catalan-Ramirez if he was
associated with any gangs. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez replied “no.” Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is not and
has never been a member of any Chicago street gang.
ICE Targeted Mr. Catalan-Ramirez Because It Received False Information from the
Chicago Police Department
43.

The Chicago Police Department maintains a Gang Database of all suspected gang

members in the City of Chicago. This Gang Database is arbitrary, over-inclusive, and contains
false information. Many people are included in the Gang Database who are not in fact members
of any street gang. Upon information and belief, the Chicago Police Department also uses a
number of other similarly arbitrary, over-inclusive mechanisms to track and report on people
who are suspected of gang membership. These other mechanisms are also riddled with false
information.
44.

On June 16, 2015, Defendant Officers Ryan King and Tomas Rosales approached

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez while he was outside his neighbor’s home in the Back of the Yards
neighborhood. According to the Defendant Officers, the reason for stopping Mr. Catalan12

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Ramirez was because he was loitering with another individual in a known Latin Saint street
gang/narcotic area and an area of recent gang violence. In fact, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was simply
spending time with his friends and their children outside. The Defendant Officers subsequently
filled out a contact card in which they labeled Mr. Catalan-Ramirez a Latin Saints gang member
and entered his information into CPD’s Gang Database.
45.

Curiously, a subsequent entry in CPD’s gang database on November 21, 2016,

lists Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as a Satan Disciple gang member. The Satan Disciples and the Latin
Saints are rival gangs; both claim territory in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. On that day,
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was in his vehicle driving just a few blocks from his home when Defendant
Officers Angel Colon and Samuel Lopez pulled him over for allegedly failing to stop at a stop
sign. The Defendant Officers proceeded to arrest Mr. Catalan-Ramirez for failing to stop at a
stop sign and driving on a suspended license. The Defendant Officers then entered Mr. CatalanRamirez’s information into CPD’s gang database and labeled him as a Satan Disciple.
46.

Defendant Officers King, Rosales, Colon, and Lopez all wrongly assumed Mr.

Catalan-Ramirez was a gang member because he was a young Latino who lived in a
neighborhood that was considered to be gang territory. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is not a gang
member and has never been a member of any Chicago street gang.
47.

Neither the Defendant Officers nor any other member of the CPD ever confronted

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez with any evidence that he was gang-affiliated before including him in the
Gang Database and/or another mechanism for tracking suspected gang members, nor did they
ever inform him of his inclusion in the Gang Database and/or another mechanism for tracking
suspected gang members. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez also never had the opportunity to challenge his
inclusion in the Gang Database and/or another mechanism for tracking suspected gang members.

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48.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security

Investigations (HIS) has an ongoing operation nationwide called Operation Community Shield in
which they target foreign born members of violent street gangs. From March 26, 2017, through
May 6, 2017, the Chicago filed office of ICE conducted a Community Shield Operation targeting
foreign born members of violent street gangs. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was targeted by ICE as part
of this operation because ICE received false information from the CPD indicating that Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez was a gang member.
49.

An ICE deportation officer, Officer “Pols,” confirmed that ICE received

information that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was affiliated with a Chicago street gang from the
Chicago Police Department and that ICE targeted Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as part of its gang
operations.
50.

Upon information and belief, in the past recent months, ICE has conducted a

number of raids in primarily Latino neighborhoods in Chicago as part of Operation Community
Shield. ICE agents have arrested a number of individuals during these raids who they perceived
to be gang members due to false information they received from the Chicago Police Department.
51.

On the same day that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was arrested by ICE, ICE raided

another home and attempted to arrest a young man who is a U.S. citizen, and ended up shooting
his father in the process. ICE indicated on Twitter that this raid was a part of “a gang op.” The
young man is not a gang member.
52.

Upon information and belief, ICE is receiving false information that individuals

are gang members from the Chicago Police Department’s Gang Database.
53.

The City of Chicago is a “sanctuary city.” The Welcoming City Ordinance,

which was first passed by City Council in 2012 and most recently amended in 2016, provides

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certain protections to undocumented immigrants. Among those protections, the Chicago Police
Department cannot share information regarding an individual’s immigration status with federal
authorities unless required to do so by federal law. However, the Welcoming City Ordinance
does not prohibit the Chicago Police Department from sharing other information about an
individual with ICE, such as all the identifying information about individuals contained in CPD’s
Gang Database.
54.

The City of Chicago is therefore not a sanctuary city for those individuals like Mr.

Catalan-Ramirez who have been falsely labeled by CPD as a gang member and then
subsequently targeted by ICE because CPD shared this false information.
55.

Upon information and belief, gang databases disproportionately identify African

American and Latino men as gang members. “Research indicates that law enforcement gang
task forces often label large numbers of youth of color as gang members with little or no
evidence of gang involvement. This racism is further increased by a complete refusal to
recognize and address primarily white gangs.” Lillian Dowdell Drakeford, The Race
Controversy in American Education (2015), at 160. Examples of this racial bias are seen in: the
Los Angeles County gang database, where approximately half of all African American men
between the ages of 16 and 24 are listed as gang members or associates, id.; the Denver Police
Department gang database, where 2 out of every 3 African American males in Denver were
listed as a gang member and 1 out of every 4 Latinos, Julie Barrows & C. Ronald Huff, Gang &
Public Policy: Constructing and Deconstructing Gang Databases, 8 CRIMINOLOGY & PUB.
POL’Y 675, 683 (2009); and the Minnesota gang database, which is 44 percent African American
and 36 percent white, K. Babe Howell, Fear Itself: The Impact of Allegations of Gang Affiliation
on Pre-trial Detention, 23 ST. THOMAS L. REV. 620 (2011). “The vague criteria, secrecy of the

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process, and lack of judicial review create a danger that police officers add many young,
minority males to the database simply because they wear hip-hop clothing and live in povertystricken, high-crime areas.” Linda S. Beres & Thomas D. Griffith, Demonizing Youth, 34 LOY.
L.A. L. REV. 747, 761 (2001).
56.

City of Chicago officials know that the Gang Database is rife with inaccuracies

and that many individuals included in the database have no gang affiliation. City of Chicago
officials know that when this false information is provided to ICE it will be used against
individuals in removal proceedings and that individuals have no recourse to challenge their
inclusion in the database.
Deficient Medical Care at McHenry County Jail
57.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was transported to McHenry County Jail on March 27,

58.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is experiencing significant pain in his left shoulder as a

2017.

result of the fracture he sustained during his arrest by the ICE agents. He has been seen once by
an orthopedic doctor at Mercy Woodstock Medical Center, and he is still waiting on a follow up
appointment to receive treatment. The delay in treatment of his shoulder could cause worsening
and perhaps permanent injury.
59.

When ICE agents slammed Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s head on the ground during the

arrest, they further exacerbated his traumatic brain injury. As a result, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is
now losing sight in his left eye and is experiencing numbness on the left side of his face. After
repeated requests for medical treatment by Mr. Catalan-Ramirez and his counsel, the medical
staff at the McHenry County Jail finally referred Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to a neurologist on April
20, 2017, however, that appointment still has not occurred to this date.

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60.

Prior to Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s arrest, he was receiving out-patient therapy three

times a week. The therapy was helping him gain motion back in his left arm, hand, leg, and foot.
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s rehabilitation was progressing and he was beginning to slowly walk
again in the days before he was arrested.
61.

Since being detained at McHenry County Jail, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has been

unable to obtain the necessary physical therapy and as a result, he is losing range of motion on
his left side and regressing in his rehabilitation. His left arm is now completely unmovable.
62.

After repeated requests for medical treatment by Mr. Catalan-Ramirez and his

counsel, the medical staff at the McHenry County Jail finally referred Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to an
occupational and physical therapist on April 20, 2017, however, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez still has
not received these appointments to this date. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez faces serious risk of
permanent damage because of this over month-long interruption in rehabilitation services. If Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez does not receive the necessary rehabilitative services immediately, he could
become permanently physically disabled.
63.

Ms. Adame was able to provide Mr. Catalan-Ramirez his ankle brace after he was

placed in custody. However, after about two weeks at the Jail, the binding strap on Mr. CatalanRamirez’s ankle brace broke, leaving him unable to use the brace and walk safely within the Jail.
Medical staff at the Jail have refused Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s request to replace his brace.
Additionally, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is unable to wear the proper sneaker footwear in the Jail in
order to wear his leg brace. He has requested to receive the proper sneaker footwear, but
security and medical staff have refused his request. Without the proper sneaker footwear and
brace, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez risks serious injury, particularly because of his existing brain injury.

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Because Mr. Catalan-Ramirez cannot walk safely around the Jail, he spends most of his days in
his cell.
64.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez requires a number of medications to deal with the pain from

all of his injuries and medication to help treat his paralysis. The medical staff at McHenry
County Jail have recently stopped giving Mr. Catalan-Ramirez his medication that helps treat his
paralysis.
65.

On or around April 12, 2017, the doctor at the Jail, Dr. Young Kim, interrogated

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez about his medical requests and communications with counsel. Dr. Kim
accused Mr. Catalan-Ramirez of misrepresenting his injuries and medical needs. Mr. CatalanRamirez felt that the intended goal of the meeting was to intimidate him and convince him that
he did not have urgent and unresolved medical needs.
66.

Due to his injuries, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez cannot dress, feed, or bathe himself

properly without assistance. Before he was arrested, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez relied on Ms. Adame
to help him with all his daily needs. Furthermore, his left arm is in a sling due to his fractured
shoulder and he has lost all motion in his left arm and hand due to the interruption in his physical
therapy. He has repeatedly requested assistance from correctional officers and nurses, but they
refuse to help him. When Mr. Catalan-Ramirez attempts to dress, feed, and bath himself without
the assistance of others, he experiences significant pain.
67.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has gone days without showering because it is very difficult

and painful for him to bathe himself. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez also has gone days without changing
his clothes because he relies on other detainees to help him put on his pants and shirt. He also
relies on other detainees to help him prepare and eat his food.

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68.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has been reprimanded by correctional officers for enlisting

other detainees’ help in dressing, eating, and putting on his ankle brace. When one correctional
officer saw Mr. Catalan-Ramirez receiving help from another detainee, the officer threatened to
place Mr. Catalan-Ramirez and any person assisting him in segregation as punishment if they
continued to help him. Because of the officer’s threats, some detainees are now afraid to help
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez. Without the assistance of detainees or staff, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez
continues to struggle meeting his basic needs.
69.

The correctional officers also bully and harass Mr. Catalan-Ramirez because of

his disabilities. Officers have taunted him, made fun of him, and used slurs against him,
including calling him gay when he has asked for their assistance in dressing.
70.

Due to the extreme pain Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is experiencing throughout his

body, he cannot sleep at night. The pain is worsening each day.
71.

As a result of his arrest by ICE agents, and his detention at McHenry County Jail,

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez suffered and continues to suffer extreme emotional distress. He is
exhibiting symptoms of depression, including insomnia, depressed mood, fatigue, crying
episodes, and diminished concentration. He feels humiliated and dehumanized by the staff at the
Jail. He is extremely stressed and does not feel like he can last much longer at the Jail.
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is Forced to Wear Shackles During Transport
72.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has been transported out of McHenry County Jail on a

number of occasions to attend immigration court hearings and to go to the hospital. Each time he
is transported, his hands and legs are shackled.
73.

It is the policy and practice at McHenry County Jail to handcuff and shackle all

detainees during transport for security purposes.

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74.

The shackles make it even more difficult for Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to walk. The

shackles cause Mr. Catalan-Ramirez extreme physical pain due to his many injuries,
embarrassment, humiliation, and mental and emotional distress. Mr. Catalan-Ramirez feels like
he is being unfairly treated like an animal and a criminal. He feels that being forced to wear
shackles falsely portrays him as a dangerous person.
75.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has no history of violence or disruption in custody or in

court and would pose no threat to the safety and security of others or threat of flight if allowed to
be transported without physical restraints.
76.

The transport vans at the McHenry County Jail are not equipped with seatbelts.

When Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is transported, he is not provided with a seatbelt. Mr. CatalanRamirez’s safety is thus at risk each time he is transported out of McHenry County Jail.
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s Damages
77.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez experienced a traumatic and violent arrest at the hands of

unidentified ICE agents precipitated by false information gathered from the CPD’s Gang
Database and/or another mechanism for tracking suspected gang members. As a result, Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez—apart from the emotional pain and humiliation he endured—sustained, among
other things, a fractured shoulder, loss of eyesight, and additional paralysis on his left side.
78.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez continues to experience pain and injury as a result of the

harm inflicted on him by ICE agents and fails to receive appropriate medical care in McHenry
County Jail.
79.

As a result of the foregoing, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has suffered and continues to

suffer tremendous damages, including but not limited to physical harm, mental suffering, and
loss of a normal life, all directly and proximately caused by the Defendants’ actions.

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COUNT I –UNLAWFUL ENTRY AND UNREASONABLE SEIZURE
(Fourth Amendment Claim for Damages under Bivens Against Defendants Wong and ICE
Agents Hines, Ransford, Warran, Laferriere, Powe, Trevino, and Struhart)
80.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
81.

Count I is alleged against Defendants Ricardo Wong and ICE Agents Hines,

Ransford, Warran, Laferriere, Powe, Trevino, and Struhart .
82.

ICE Agents Hines, Ransford, Warran, Laferriere, Powe, Trevino, and Struhart

violated Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches
when they entered his home without a judicial warrant or voluntary consent, and without
probable cause or the presence of any exigent circumstances.
83.

Upon information and belief, Defendant Ricardo Wrong, as Field Office Director

of the Chicago ICE Field Office, was the final policy-making authority for the raid of Mr.
Catalan-Ramirez’s home and authorized the ICE agents to enter Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s home
without a warrant or consent, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
84.

Defendants ICE Agents Hines, Ransford, Warran, Laferriere, Powe, Trevino, and

Struhart violated Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable
seizures when they seized, detained, and arrested him without a judicial warrant or reasonable
suspicion or probable cause that he was committing crime.
85.

As a result of the unjustified and unconstitutional conduct of Defendants Wong

and ICE Agents Hines, Ransford, Warran, Laferriere, Powe, Trevino, and Struhart, Mr. CatalanRamirez suffered damages, including but not limited to, actual damages, loss of liberty,
humiliation, fear, and emotional distress.

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COUNT II – EXCESSIVE FORCE
(Fourth Amendment Claim for Damages under Bivens Against Defendants ICE Agents
Hines, Ransford, and Powe)
86.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
87.

Count II is alleged against Defendants ICE Agents Hines, Ransford, and Powe.

88.

By physically seizing Mr. Catalan-Ramirez and needlessly slamming him into the

floor, banging his head on the floor, kneeing him in the back, aggressively handcuffing him
behind the back, and fracturing his shoulder, even though he had offered no resistance to the
agents, the Defendant ICE Agents used excessive force against Mr. Catalan-Ramirez, and in
doing so, violated his Fourth Amendment rights to be free from the use of unreasonable or
excessive force.
89.

As a result of the use of excessive force, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez suffered damages,

including but not limited to, actual damages, loss of liberty, humiliation, pain, fear, and
emotional distress.
COUNT III – FAILURE TO PROVIDE MEDICAL CARE
(Fourteenth Amendment Claim for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief
under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Against Defendants Prim, Devane, Keegan, and CCS)
90.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
91.

Count III is alleged against Defendant Sheriff Prim in his official capacity,

Defendant David Devane in his official capacity, Defendant Mike Keegan in his official
capacity, and Defendant Correct Care Solutions.

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92.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was deprived and continues to be deprived of his rights

under the Fourteenth Amendment to be provided with adequate medical treatment and care while
at the McHenry County Jail.
93.

The Defendants’ failures to take appropriate steps to provide Mr. Catalan-

Ramirez with adequate treatment for his very serious medical needs, as described more fully in
the preceding paragraphs, constitute deliberate indifference to Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s serious
medical needs and violate his Fourteenth Amendment rights. Defendants know of and disregard
the substantial risk of injury to Mr. Catalan-Ramirez by failing to provide adequate medical care.
94.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against all official

capacity Defendants and Defendant CCS to prevent the continued violation of his constitutional
rights.
COUNT IV – AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (“ADA”)
(ADA Claim for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief Against Defendant Sheriff Prim in his
Official Capacity)
95.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully

set forth in this Count.
96.

Count IV is alleged against Defendant Sheriff Prim in his official capacity.

97.

As described more fully in the proceeding paragraphs, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is a

qualified person with a physical disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and his
disability is known to the individual Defendants—Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is partially paralyzed on
the left side rendering him unable to walk without the use of a leg brace and proper footwear and
unable to properly dress, feed, or bathe himself without assistance. As a result, the Defendants
have an obligation to accommodate his disability by providing him with a functioning leg brace
and proper footwear and assisting him in his daily activities such as dressing, eating, and

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showering. The Defendants intentionally have failed to accommodate Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s
physical disability, and these failures have caused Mr. Catalan-Ramirez pain and suffering.
98.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against Defendant

Sheriff Prim in his official capacity to prevent the continued violation of his rights under the
ADA.
COUNT V – RETALIATION
(First and Fourteenth Amendment Claim for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief under 42
U.S.C. § 1983 Against Defendants Prim, Devane, Keegan, and CCS)
99.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully

set forth in this Count.
100.

Count V is alleged against Defendant Sheriff Prim in his official capacity,

Defendant David Devane in his official capacity, Defendant Mike Keegan in his official
capacity, and Defendant Correct Care Solutions.
101.

Medical staff at the Jail violated Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s rights guaranteed by the

First Amendment, as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment, when they intimidated him
and accused him of misrepresenting his injuries and medical needs after he, through counsel,
contacted ICE officials to request urgent medical assistance.
102.

Security staff at the Jail violated and continue to violate Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s

rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment, by
threatening him with placement in segregation whenever he asks for other detainees’ assistance
with his daily needs.
103.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against these official

capacity Defendants and Defendant CCS to prevent the continued violation of his constitutional
rights.

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COUNT VI – DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS
(Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment Claim for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief under 42
U.S.C. § 1983 Against Defendants Prim, Devane, and Wong)
104.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
105.

Count VI is alleged against Defendant Sheriff Prim in his official capacity,

Defendant Devane in his official capacity, and Defendant Wong in his official capacity.
106.

As a civil immigration detainee, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez has a constitutional liberty

interest in being free from physical restraints such as the hard metal shackles that are currently
used on his hands and legs when he is transported out of the McHenry County Jail to go to
immigration court hearings and the hospital.
107.

By shackling Mr. Catalan-Ramirez every time he is transported out of McHenry

County Jail to go to immigration court hearings and the hospital, Defendants’ are violating his
rights to due process guaranteed by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States
Constitution.
108.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against these official

capacity Defendants to prevent the continued violation of his constitutional rights.
COUNT VII – DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS
(Fourteenth Amendment Claim for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief under 42 U.S.C. §
1983 Against Defendant Superintendent Johnson)
109.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
110.

Count VII is alleged against Defendant Superintendent Eddie Johnson in his

official capacity.

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111.

The Chicago Police Department maintains a Gang Database consisting of the

names and identifying information of individuals who are suspected to be members of street
gangs.
112.

The Defendant Officers falsely labeled Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as a member of a

Chicago street gang and included his identifying information in the CPD’s Gang Database
without justification.
113.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is not and has never been a member of a Chicago street

114.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez was never notified by CPD that he was in the Gang

gang.

Database. CPD never confronted him with evidence that he was gang-affiliated before including
him in the Gang Database. There is no procedure by which Mr. Catalan-Ramirez can contest his
inclusion in the Gang Database.
115.

Upon information and belief, the CPD shares information contained in the Gang

Database with ICE. Through this information sharing, ICE obtained Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s
name and address and subsequently arrested Mr. Catalan-Ramirez, in part, because CPD falsely
informed ICE that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is a gang member.
116.

If CPD had not included Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s name in the Gang Database, Mr.

Catalan-Ramirez would not have been targeted and prioritized by ICE as part of Operation
Community Shield and he would not now be in deportation proceedings.
117.

But for the fact that ICE targeted and prioritized Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s removal

from the United States because of false information alleging that he is a Chicago street gang
member, he could have begun his applications for asylum and for a U visa while he was living
with his family.

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118.

The false information that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is a Chicago street gang member

will adversely affect his ability to a U visa. A U visa is a nonimmigrant visa for victims of
certain crimes who have been, or are likely to be, helpful to law enforcement in the investigation
or prosecution of a crime. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (“USCIS”) may
consider any evidence that law enforcement and immigration authorities possess when
determining whether to grant a U visa. There is a substantial likelihood that USCIS will use the
false information that about Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’ gang affiliation against him and deny his U
visa petition on that basis.
119.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s liberty has been deprived based on false evidence used

against him that he could not challenge.
120.

By falsely labeling Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as a Chicago street gang member,

including his name in the Gang Database, and then sharing his identifying information with
ICE—while knowing that ICE would target Mr. Catalan-Ramirez and use this evidence against
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez in removal proceedings, and that this evidence would adversely affect any
form of relief Mr. Catalan-Ramirez might seek such as a U visa—the CPD violated Mr. CatalanRamirez’s Fourteenth Amendment due process right.
121.

The CPD’s dissemination of false information regarding Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s

gang membership without the precaution of reasonable efforts to guarantee the accuracy of the
information restricted Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s liberty without any procedural safeguards designed
to prevent such inaccuracies in violation of his constitutional rights.
122.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against Defendant

Superintendent Johnson in his official capacity to prevent the continued violation of his
constitutional rights.

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COUNT VIII – DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS
(Fourteenth Amendment Claim for Damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Against Defendants
Superintendent Johnson, Commander Christopher Kennedy, Commander Alfred Nagode,
and Officers King, Rosales, Colon, and Lopez)
123.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
124.

Count VIII is alleged against Defendants Superintendent Eddie Johnson,

Commander Christopher J. Kennedy, Commander Alfred Nagode, Officer Ryan King, Officer
Tomas Rosales, Officer Angel Colon, and Officer Samuel Lopez.
125.

As explained in detail above, the Chicago Police Department maintains a Gang

Database consisting of the names and identifying information of individuals who are suspected
to be members of street gangs.
126.

Defendants Kennedy and Nagode are in charge of the divisions of CPD

responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and updating the Gang Database.
127.

Defendants Officer King, Officer Rosales, Officer Colon, and Officer Lopez

falsely labeled Mr. Catalan-Ramirez as a member of a Chicago street gang and included his
identifying information in the CPD’s Gang Database without justification.
128.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is not and has never been a member of a Chicago street

129.

As explained in detail in Count VII, the CPD violated Mr. Catalan-Ramirez’s

gang.

Fourteenth Amendment due process rights by including him in the Gang Database without
affording him any due process protections, and by sharing that false information with ICE while
knowing that the false information that Mr. Catalan-Ramirez could not challenge would deprive
Mr. Catalan-Ramirez of his liberty.
130.

As a result of the unjustified and unconstitutional conduct of the CPD, Mr.
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Catalan-Ramirez suffered damages, including but not limited to, actual damages, loss of liberty,
humiliation, pain, fear, and emotional distress.
COUNT IX – UNLAWFUL POLICY AND PRACTICE
(Monell Claim for Declaratory, Injunctive Relief and Damages under 42 U.S.C. § 1983
Against the City of Chicago)
131.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
132.

Count IX is alleged against Defendant City of Chicago.

133.

The actions of the CPD Defendants were undertaken pursuant to policies and

practices of the Chicago Police Department, described above and below, which were ratified by
policymakers for the City of Chicago with final policymaking authority.
134.

At all times material to this complaint, Defendant City of Chicago through its

Police Department, Police Superintendent, Police Board, Mayor, and City Council had
interrelated de facto policies, practices, and customs which included, inter alia:
a. maintaining a Gang Database consisting of names and identifying information
of individuals suspected of being members of Chicago street gangs;
b. including individuals in the Gang Database and labeling them as gang
members without any justification or evidence proving that they were in fact
members of street gangs;
c. failing to inform individuals when their information is inputted into the Gang
Database;
d. failing to have a process by which individuals can challenge their inclusion in
the Gang Database;

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e. failing to have any sort of process by which the information contained in the
Gang Database is analyzed for accuracy;
f. communicating information contained in the Gang Database with ICE.
135.

The interrelated policies, practices, and customs alleged above were or should

have been well-known within the Chicago Police Department, both before and after Mr. CatalanRamirez’s inclusion in the Gang Database and subsequent arrest by ICE.
136.

During the past recent months, a number of individuals have been arrested by ICE

based on false information ICE obtained from the CPD regarding the individual’s alleged
involvement in street gangs. These individuals were not gang members and never had an
opportunity to challenge their inclusion in the CPD’s Gang Database.
137.

Upon information and belief, ICE is using false information that individuals are

Chicago street gang members against the individuals in removal proceedings, including at bond
hearings.
138.

The interrelated policies, practices, and customs alleged above were the direct and

proximate cause of the unconstitutional acts committed by the CPD Defendants and the injuries
suffered by Mr. Catalan-Ramirez.
139.

In addition to damages related to his current injuries, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks

injunctive and declaratory relief against the City of Chicago to remedy the city’s policies and
practices described above that have violated and will continue to violate his constitutional rights.

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COUNT X – ILLINOIS CIVIL RIGHTS ACT (“ICRA”)
(ICRA Claim for Declaratory, Injunctive Relief and Damages Against Defendant City of
Chicago)
140.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set

forth in this Count.
141.

Count X is alleged against the City of Chicago.

142.

The Illinois Civil Rights Act states, in relevant part, that no unit of State, county,

or local government shall “utilize criteria or methods of administration that have the effect of
subjecting individuals to discrimination because of their race, color, national origin, or gender.”
740 ILCS 23/5(a)(2).
143.

The City of Chicago, through the actions of the CPD Defendants, caused and

perpetuate unlawful discrimination against black and Latino men.
144.

The Chicago Police Department has a policy and practice of including black and

Latino men who have not participated in any gang activity in the Gang Database for no
justifiable reason other than their race and national origin.
145.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez is not a Chicago street gang member and the CPD

Defendants only labeled him as a gang member and included his information in the Gang
Database because of his race and ethnicity. The CPD Defendants treated Mr. Catalan-Ramirez
differently because of his race and national origin in violation of ICRA.
146.

As a result of the CPD Defendants’ actions, Mr. Catalan-Ramirez suffered

damages, including but not limited to, actual damages, loss of liberty, humiliation, pain, fear, and
emotional distress.

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147.

Mr. Catalan-Ramirez seeks injunctive and declaratory relief against the City of

Chicago to prevent the continued violation of his rights to be free from discrimination pursuant
to ICRA.
COUNT XI – INDEMINIFICATION
(State Law Claim Against the City of Chicago)
148.

Plaintiff repeats and realleges the preceding paragraphs as if fully set forth in this

149.

Count XI is alleged against Defendant City of Chicago.

150.

Illinois law provides that public entities are directed to pay ant tort judgment for

Count.

compensatory damages for which employees are liable within the scope of their employment
activities.
151.

The CPD Defendants are or were employees of Defendant City of Chicago who

acted within the scope of their employment in committing the misconduct described above.
152.

Defendants City of Chicago are thus liable under the theory of indemnification.
REQUEST FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff Wilmer Catalan-Ramirez requests that this Court enter
judgment in his favor against Defendants in the following manner:
1.

Adjudge and declare that the policies, practices, and conduct described in this

Complaint are in violation of the rights of Mr. Catalan-Ramirez under the First, Fourth, Fifth,
and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
2.

Enjoin the Defendants from subjecting Mr. Catalan-Ramirez to the unlawful

policies, practices, and conduct described in this Complaint.

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3.

Retain jurisdiction of this case until such time as the Defendants have fully

complied with all orders of the Court, and there is reasonable assurance that the Defendants will
continue to comply in the future with these orders.
4.

Award Mr. Catalan-Ramirez compensatory and punitive damages.

5.

Award Mr. Catalan-Ramirez reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988.
6.

Award Mr. Catalan-Ramirez such other and further relief as this Court may deem

appropriate and just.
JURY DEMAND
Plaintiff demands trial by jury on his damages claims.

Dated: September 6, 2017
Respectfully submitted,
WILMER CATALAN-RAMIREZ
By: /s/ Sheila A. Bedi
One of his attorneys
Sheila A. Bedi
Vanessa del Valle
Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
375 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 503-1271
sheila.bedi@law.northwestern.edu
vanessa.delvalle@law.northwestern.edu
“Julie” Yihong Mao
Sejal Zota
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
14 Beacon Street, Suite 602
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Boston, MA 02108
julie@nipnlg.org
sejal@nipnlg.org
(617) 227 - 9727
*applications for pro hac vice admission forthcoming

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned, an attorney, certifies that she served the foregoing document upon all
persons who have filed appearances in this case via the Court’s CM/ECF system on September
6, 2017.
/s/ Vanessa del Valle

34