{"id":261671,"date":"2026-02-10T13:20:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T20:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/?p=261671"},"modified":"2026-02-10T15:07:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T22:07:45","slug":"froid-residents-show-support-for-neighbor-after-border-patrol-arrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2026\/02\/10\/froid-residents-show-support-for-neighbor-after-border-patrol-arrest\/","title":{"rendered":"With shirts, Froid residents show support for neighbor after Border Patrol arrest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GREAT FALLS \u2014 Wearing jeans and a black sweatshirt with his father\u2019s diesel shop logo on the front, Roberto Orozco Lazcano, 19, leaned forward on the wooden court bench in a federal courtroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He clenched his hands and tapped his foot on the floor. His younger brothers, Eduardo, 16, and Aaron, 14, and their high school classmates sat beside him, all wearing the same black Orozco Diesel sweatshirts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kids whispered and fidgeted. When the brothers\u2019 father, Roberto Orozco-Ramirez, walked in, the room fell silent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orozco-Ramirez surrendered to law enforcement on Jan. 25 after Border Patrol agents had been staged outside his home and business for several days. Originally from Mexico, Orozco-Ramirez is an auto repair shop owner, Little League coach and father of four. He\u2019s been living with his family in Froid for more than a decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. government alleged in court documents that Orozco-Ramirez had returned to the U.S. illegally after being removed once by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2009. It also accused Orozco-Ramirez of threatening a federal officer when Border Patrol agents, in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles, approached him at his auto shop on Jan. 15. He\u2019s been in jail for more than two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lauren\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Froid, pictured on the morning of Feb. 7, is a town of 195 in the northeastern corner of Montana known for its agriculture and pheasant hunting.
Credit:<\/span> Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Orozco-Ramirez\u2019s arrest has rocked Froid<\/a>, a tiny town in northeast Montana home to just 195 residents. The way the town rallied around the sole Mexican family in town has captured the attention of people far beyond the community. His story has been shared by national media outlets<\/a>. A coffee shop in Helena<\/a> donated its proceeds for a day to Orozco-Ramirez\u2019s legal fund. And several people who\u2019ve never met Orozco-Ramirez or his family drove hours to show their support at his hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, federal Judge John Johnston confirmed that a grand jury had charged Orozco-Ramirez with illegal reentry to the U.S., a felony that carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and up to $250,000 in fines. People convicted of illegal reentry<\/a> can also be barred from accessing benefits like obtaining a green card, or from returning to the U.S. The government\u2019s earlier allegation that Orozco-Ramirez had threatened a federal officer, noted in the initial complaint, was not included in the indictment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond jail time and fines, deportation is the big concern for many Froid residents. The Orozco boys said their uncles, who were living in Montana, were both deported after being apprehended by Border Patrol in March and July of 2025. Their father\u2019s arrest comes as the Trump administration deploys federal immigration agents in American cities, pushing for mass deportation<\/a>, sometimes without clear processes. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lauren\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Chase White stands outside the gym after the game against Bainville on Feb. 7, 2026, in Medicine Lake. White has coached three of the Orozco boys and, according to them, was one of the first people to reach out after learning their father had been detained.
Credit:<\/span> Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the courtroom on Monday, Orozco-Ramirez pleaded not guilty to illegal reentry. The judge said he could request a future detention hearing, where his lawyer would have an opportunity to advocate for his release. But an attorney representing the federal government argued Orozco-Ramirez should remain in jail, calling him \u201ca flight risk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Froid residents shook their heads in disbelief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surrounding the Orozco boys outside the courthouse after the hearing were almost a dozen friends and neighbors wearing the black sweatshirt with their father\u2019s diesel shop logo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

T-shirts and sweatshirts with that logo have become a common sight in Froid in the two weeks since Orozco-Ramirez\u2019s arrest, worn by youth and adults not typically prone to taking public stances on immigration issues. His neighbors were eager to telegraph that he belongs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the right thing to do,\u201d Chase White, who coaches the Froid\/Medicine Lake boys\u2019 basketball team, said of wearing the Orozco Diesel shirts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gear has also sparked some pushback, highlighting the complicated dynamics around immigration enforcement unfolding in one small Montana town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOW THE SHIRTS CAME TO BE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Laurie Young, who serves on Froid\u2019s Town Council and works as a school cheer coach, makes custom clothing as a side gig. When her son, in the same grade as one of the Orozco boys, asked what the basketball team could do to show its support, she immediately thought of t-shirts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Young to make dozens of white long-sleeve shirts with the Orozco Diesel logo on the front and \u201cOROZCO\u201d in big black letters on the back. Inside the Medicine Lake School gym north of Froid, on Saturday night, the Froid\/Medicine Lake boys basketball team wore the shirts as they warmed up. Located 12 miles apart, the tiny Froid and Medicine Lake schools combine to form sports teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 250 fans stomped on bleachers and cheered as the Froid\/Medicine Lake team faced off against the Bainville Bulldogs, a friendly rival. Aaron Orozco Lazcano grabbed the ball. He paused in a low athletic stance and looked up at the basket.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 5 feet 5 inches tall and with a quiet demeanor, Aaron is an unassuming player. He looked down, dribbled around a defender and scored from the three-point line. The gym, packed with more people than Froid\u2019s population, erupted in cheers. Aaron\u2019s brother and teammate, Eduardo, patted him on the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their father \u2014 who normally never missed a game, and who often shouted strategy to his sons in Spanish \u2014 was hundreds of miles away in Cascade County jail. Their mother, too fearful to leave her home, wasn\u2019t there either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even so, visible support from the community surrounded the boys in the gym. Their coaches wore t-shirts with their father\u2019s auto shop logo. Some fans in the stands wore similar shirts and sweatshirts. Others wore white and gray bracelets with the words \u201cOROZCO STRONG\u201d in big blue letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lauren\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Froid \/ Medicine Lake\u2019s Isabelle Nordwick and Atley Jensentalk together while watching the boys game against Bainville on Feb. 7, 2026, in Medicine Lake. Both the boys and girls team sported Orozco Diesel shirts to show support for the family.
Credit:<\/span> Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe shirts the teams were wearing were a big release for the kids,\u201d said Marvin Qualley, a spring wheat farmer and school bus driver in Froid. \u201cThey saw the community behind the Orozco family, but they weren\u2019t doing anything. So the shirts were the way for them to show support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But on Facebook, some residents questioned whether the clothes were made with taxpayer dollars. Others criticized them as an anti-law enforcement gesture. Young took to Facebook to clarify that she\u2019d paid for them herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Froid, public stances come with risk. Disagreements can cost a local business its customers and a family its livelihood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe population is so small that it can\u2019t be divided by how you voted,\u201d said Froid Mayor Sheri Crain. \u201cWe live too close together. If we started drawing lines, you wouldn\u2019t have any friends left. You wouldn\u2019t have community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t

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When Border Patrol arrested a beloved mechanic in Froid, Montana, neighbors were forced to reckon with national immigration policy<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t

Roberto Orozco-Ramirez\u2019s detainment has brought the Trump administration\u2019s national immigration crackdown to a small, conservative town in Montana. As community members rally to support their neighbor and friend, many grapple with their own complicated beliefs on immigration. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby<\/span> Nora Mabie<\/a><\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

OROZCO BOYS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Their father\u2019s arrest has also thrust the Orozco boys, who are U.S. citizens, into an uncomfortable spotlight. As the story has spread across Montana and beyond, online comments have flowed in both from people looking to support the family and from those who criticize their father for not obtaining legal citizenship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCould have used those 10 years to get his citizenship,\u201d one commenter wrote when Montana Free Press shared the story<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been in the country ten plus years, set up a business, and pay taxes and successfully evaded immigration officials that long, I\u2019d say the [Department of Homeland Security] can go to hell,\u201d another commenter wrote. \u201cHe sounds like someone that this country wants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roberto Jr. said he wishes more people understood the reality of gaining citizenship in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople have to realize that if citizenship was as easy as going online, filing something and then getting your citizenship, nobody in the United States would be illegal,\u201d Roberto Jr. said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boys say they\u2019re grateful for the community support, but it can also make them feel self-conscious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s weird,\u201d said Eduardo, a high school junior. \u201cGoing to games, they support us, wearing shirts and sweatshirts and everything, but I just feel like I\u2019m being watched all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roberto Jr. said he worries whether he\u2019s \u201ctalking too much or laughing too much\u201d in the stands during his brother\u2019s basketball games.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lauren\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Roberto, Eduardo and Ricardo Orozco walk into the Orozco Diesel shop on Feb. 8, 2026, south of Froid. Roberto Orozco Jr. has made calls to customers to make sure they got payment information. When he called, most everyone had already heard that his father had been detained.

Credit:<\/span> Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI kind of sit there like, \u2018Dang, people might think that I\u2019m OK and that we don\u2019t need the help,\u2019\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the boys and their mother aren\u2019t OK, family members said. The boys are still shaken by the feeling that Border Patrol was following them, even though they hadn\u2019t violated any laws. In the week leading up to their father\u2019s arrest, classmates and parents said they noticed Border Patrol vehicles outside their home and their dad\u2019s shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aaron and Eduardo were scared enough to stay home from school for a week. Roberto Jr., a freshman at Williston State College in North Dakota, began taking classes entirely online so he could be home with his family in Froid. The three older brothers have tried to work on some of the vehicles left at their dad\u2019s shop, doing small jobs like an oil change or replacing antifreeze, but their skills are nothing like their father\u2019s. At home, they do their best to keep their 7-year-old brother, Ricardo, distracted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe told him that my dad was on vacation in Hawaii,\u201d Roberto Jr. said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hardest part of their father\u2019s arrest, the boys said, is not knowing what could happen next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though deportation proceedings would play out in a separate immigration court, Randall Caudle, an immigration attorney for a Missoula-based law firm, said federal courts will typically dismiss illegal reentry charges if a person is willing to self-deport and return to their home country. But many residents don\u2019t make that decision lightly, Caudle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere have been people being deported to Mexico and going back to their hometown that they haven\u2019t been to in forever and finding it\u2019s controlled by a cartel,\u201d he said. \u201cSo they\u2019re going back to a dangerous place that\u2019s very different from what they left and that they\u2019re not familiar with anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the courthouse after their father\u2019s brief hearing on Monday afternoon, the Orozco boys huddled with the friends who had accompanied them on the 400-mile drive from Froid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lauren\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Roberto Orozco-Ramirez’s sons and friends sport Orozco Diesel sweatshirts to show their support of Roberto Orozco-Ramirez during his court hearing Feb. 9, 2026, in Great Falls.
Credit:<\/span> Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, the hearing left them with more questions than answers. The group made plans to stop for coffee and gas before starting the seven-hour trek home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wearing a mustard-yellow sweater, Jill Joyce walked into the sea of black Orozco Diesel hoodies. She had read about the case and driven three hours from Gallatin Gateway to show her support. She had picked up a friend in Helena, and another friend drove from Neihart, about an hour south of Great Falls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo,\u201d Joyce said, walking up to the Froid residents. \u201cWhere can I get a sweatshirt?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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