WASHINGTON — Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are calling for the Department of Homeland Security to reverse the deportation of Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, a California resident with active Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Estrada Juarez, 42, was deported to Mexico within 24 hours of completing an interview for legal permanent residency, a green card, despite having lived in California for 27 years and having no criminal record. The case has ignited outrage among immigration advocates and renewed scrutiny of deportation practices under the current administration.
The deportation of Estrada Juarez, first reported by the Sacramento Bee, highlights a growing concern that DACA recipients are increasingly being targeted for removal, even while awaiting decisions on their applications for legal status. DACA, established in 2012, provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to individuals brought to the U.S. As children. As of June 2025, over 515,000 individuals were actively enrolled in the program, with California hosting the largest population of DACA recipients – approximately 144,000 – according to federal data.
Details of the Deportation
Estrada Juarez arrived at the John E. Moss Federal Building in Sacramento on February 18th with her 22-year-old U.S. Citizen daughter, Damaris Bello, for her green card interview. According to Ivonne Rodriguez, press director for immigration reform at the advocacy group FWD.us, immigration agents requested Estrada Juarez’s fingerprints and then pressured her to sign a form acknowledging her agreement to deportation. When she refused, Rodriguez alleges an officer forcibly applied her fingerprint to the document. Estrada Juarez was then transported to Tijuana, Mexico, by 8 a.m. The following morning.
Speaking from Mexico on Thursday, Estrada Juarez expressed her devastation. “I did everything I could to build a stable life and supply my daughter the opportunities that I never had,” she said. “But about two weeks ago, everything changed. I was wrongfully deported. In a single moment, nearly 30 years of my life were taken away from me — my home, my work, my community.”
Conflicting Data and Congressional Concerns
The case has prompted questions about the consistency of enforcement practices within the Department of Homeland Security. Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) has raised concerns about conflicting data provided by the agency regarding the number of DACA recipients arrested and deported since former President Trump returned to office. In a January 12th letter, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had arrested 270 DACA recipients between January 1 and September 28, 2025. Though, a subsequent letter to Senators Durbin and others, covering a longer period (January 1 to November 19, 2025), indicated 261 arrests and 86 deportations. Garcia pointed out the discrepancies, calling them “gross incompetency or intentional misdirection.”
These numbers contrast with previous administrations. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Durbin questioned Noem about the deportations, receiving a response that the department “follow[s] all laws as applicable.” Noem stated she was unfamiliar with the specifics of Estrada Juarez’s case but pledged to investigate. Noem was fired on Thursday, according to reports.
Calls for Legislative Action
Senator Padilla, who met with Estrada Juarez’s daughter this week, emphasized the need for permanent legislative protections for DACA recipients. “DACA recipients did everything right and followed all the instructions laid out in the program,” Padilla stated. “They took the United States government at its word and they’ve kept their end of the deal. But now we know that Donald Trump and Kristi Noem are breaking the government’s promise.”
The future of DACA remains uncertain, entangled in ongoing litigation. While former President Trump initially attempted to dismantle the program during his first term, he later indicated a willingness to “work something out” for Dreamers in a December 2024 appearance on “Meet the Press,” though no concrete action has followed.
Estrada Juarez expressed a simple desire: to return home. “I’m not asking for a special treatment,” she said. “I’m asking for what is right. My deportation was wrong, and my family should not have to be torn apart. I just want to change to go home and hold my daughter again.”
The situation underscores the precarious position of DACA recipients and the urgent need for a comprehensive immigration solution. The focus now shifts to whether the Biden administration will intervene in Estrada Juarez’s case and what steps Congress will take to address the legal vulnerabilities faced by hundreds of thousands of individuals who have grown up calling the United States home.
What happens next with Estrada Juarez’s case, and whether it will spur further legislative action, remains to be seen. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
