DACA Mother Deported After Green Card Interview Sues Trump Administration
Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, a 42-year-old hotel worker and mother of a 22-year-old U.S. citizen daughter, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after being deported to Mexico. Her case highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program under the current administration.
An Unexpected Deportation
Estrada Juarez arrived in the United States when she was just 15 years old. She has lived under the protections of DACA, an Obama-era program designed to shield eligible immigrants who arrived as children from deportation. On February 18, 2026, she attended a scheduled green card interview at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Sacramento, California, accompanied by her daughter.
"I followed the rules and showed up to my immigration appointment believing I was taking the next step toward stability," Estrada Juarez said in a statement. "Instead, I was taken away from my daughter and forced out of the country overnight."
According to her complaint, she was arrested after the interview and deported the following day. She is now stranded in Mexico, separated from her family and the life she built in Sacramento.
Legal Battle and Conflicting Claims
Her attorney, Stacy Tolchin, argues that the deportation was unlawful. "Maria's deportation violated basic principles of due process," Tolchin stated. "She had a valid DACA status, she appeared for her immigration appointment as instructed, and she should never have been removed from the country."
The lawsuit seeks a court order to return Estrada Juarez to the United States immediately. It contends that she never received a removal order or appeared before an immigration judge, despite a document claiming she is barred from re-entering the U.S. for ten years.
However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputes this narrative. A DHS spokesperson asserted that the government ordered her removal in 1998, when she was a child, and she was removed shortly after. "She illegally re-entered the U.S. — a felony," the spokesperson said. "She was arrested and her final order re-instated. ICE removed her from the U.S. on February 19, 2026."
Broader Context and Congressional Outrage
Estrada Juarez is among dozens of DACA recipients, often called Dreamers, who have been arrested and deported since President Trump took office. Homeland Security data provided to Congress indicates that more than 200 DACA recipients were arrested between January and November of last year, with at least 86 deported.
These actions have sparked outrage among members of Congress. Senator Dick Durbin cited Estrada Juarez's case during a testimony by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who said she was unaware of the removal and would "look into it."
Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California expressed deep concern, stating, "These arrests disrupt families, harm communities, and inflict unnecessary social, emotional, and economic costs." He emphasized that DACA recipients undergo strict background checks and should not be targeted without serious criminal convictions.
Data Discrepancies and Calls for Transparency
The Trump administration has provided conflicting data to lawmakers regarding DACA arrests and removals. One report states 270 DACA recipients were arrested and 174 removed last year, while another review claims 261 were arrested and 86 removed.
Democratic Representatives Delia C. Ramirez and Sylvia Garcia have called these discrepancies "gross incompetence or intentional misdirection." They have demanded a full accounting from DHS by March 13, arguing that transparency is crucial to protect Dreamers.
As of December 31, 2024, there were over 533,000 active DACA recipients, with nearly 134,000 having obtained lawful permanent resident status by March 2024. Estrada Juarez's lawsuit underscores the precarious situation many Dreamers face, despite legal protections, and the ongoing political battles over immigration policy in the United States.
