It cost Maciel $7,000 to bond out of custody and he lost his job at a plant nursery where he made $12.50 an hour. The federal lawsuit alleges that Officer Coleman did not follow previously set court precedent from 2012 that stated “state and local law enforcement officers violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution when they initiate or prolong a seizure solely to investigate whether an individual is lawfully present in the United States.”
City of Spokane to Pay $49,000 to Maciel
Spokane’s Mayor, David Condon, approved the settlement of $49,000. City spokesperson Brian Coddington remarked that the incident was “highly unusual” and that Officer Coleman did not agree with Maciel’s recounting of the incident. However, she’s also not faced any sort of discipline as a result of their encounter. Coddington stated she followed the city’s policy from 2013 despite the fact that the 2013 manual said that officers do not have the authority to “arrest foreign nationals for undocumented presence.” They may “detail foreign nationals solely for alleged undocumented presence…if [ICE] is contacted and can respond to take custody with a reasonable time.”
