A lawsuit in federal court accusing the city of Whitefish of racial profiling appears poised to end in a settlement after a judge dismissed several of the original claims.

The lawsuit stems from a traffic stop conducted by former Whitefish Police officer Michael Hingiss in April 2025. After pulling Beker Rengifo del Castillo over for a broken taillight, Hingiss called federal immigration officials and informed them he was “out with a male that only speaks Spanish.” 

Rengifo del Castillo was subsequently detained by Whitefish-based U.S. Border Patrol agents and transferred to the Northwest Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in Tacoma, Wash., where he was held for about a week before being released without charge.     

While the Whitefish Police Department did not directly detain Rengifo del Castillo, the lawsuit filed by Rengifo del Castillo argued that the call catalyzed “a horrific and traumatic experience.” He accused Hingiss of unconstitutional seizure, false arrest and equal protection violations. 

Five separate counts were lodged against the city of Whitefish, including one count of unconstitutional seizure, one count of false arrest, one count of negligence and two counts of failure to train. Whitefish Police Chief Bridger Kelch is named in one count of failure to train. 

Federal Judge William Mercer filed an order on April 9 to vacate planned trial dates in the case after receiving a notice of settlement. The parties are required to file a request to dismiss by May 9. 

Neither the city of Whitefish nor attorneys for Rengifo del Castillo responded to inquires about the potential settlement. 

THE ORDER to vacate the trial came only two days after Mercer dismissed three of the five claims leveled at the city. 

In a summary judgement signed April 7, Mercer highlighted similarities between the unconstitutional seizure, false arrest and negligence claims made in the lawsuit and a complaint about the traffic stop that Rengifo del Castillo filed with the Montana Human Rights Bureau in September 2025.  

The judge found that until he received adjudication from the state bureau, Rengifo del Castillo could not pursue his claims in federal court.   

“Without the allegation or even insinuation of discriminatory conduct strictly prohibited by the Montana Human Rights Act, Mr. Castillo would be unable to support his claims... Accordingly, Mr. Castillo must exhaust any and all available remedies under the Montana Human Rights Act before seeking the court’s review,” Mercer wrote. 

Mercer dismissed the claims without prejudice, meaning they could be introduced again at a later date. 

The summary judgement applied only to claims made against the city of Whitefish under Montana state law. The city still faced two claims of failure to train under federal law. None of the claims against Hingiss were affected by the summary judgement.   

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.