Team of legal representatives for Central New York Newspaper pressure federal judges in unsealing documents related to immigration arrest last December in Lewis County

LEWIS COUNTY- Legal representatives for a Central New York Newspaper are after federal judges, with aims of unsealing court records regarding a suspicious immigration enforcement case against a North Country dairy farm worker.

According to some of the latest publications from Syracuse.com, prosecutors at the federal level have charged Marvin Aguilar-Garcia with assault. They allege that he hit a Border Patrol agent with a car owner’s manual during an immigration sting last December in Lewis County.

In December, it is reported that Border Patrol agents organized with members of the Lewis County sheriff’s office and the county probation department to help lure Aguilar-Garcia out of the farm where he milks cows, according to records.

During a traffic stop, agents approached Aguilar-Garcia and claimed there was snow on his license plate. Agents said they ended up chasing him through a snow covered swamp.

Border Patrol officials reportedly told a grand jury that Aguilar-Garcia threw a book at an officer. As the case headed to trial, however, it became apparent there was no evidence of a book, records show.

At the time of this incident, reports suggest that Aguilar was living legally in the United States and was pursuing asylum from Guatemala, his lawyer said.

Reports describe how this case via the U.S. Justice Department gradually fell apart until the charges were dropped by prosecutors last February, only five days before a trial was set to commence.

In summary, reporters found several key documents in the case were sealed from the public view without explanation and some were not even listed on the court docket. Reporters have subsequently asked U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi to make those records public.

Meanwhile, there are hundreds of other similar cases that have managed to fall apart across the country as President Donald Trump continues his push to crack down on immigration.

According to an analysis via the New York Times, out of 400 some cases resolved so far, nearly half of them have fallen apart as prosecutors either drop charges or see them tossed by judges and juries.

North Country News image.