WASHINGTON — A California woman with active protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, alleging her unlawful deportation to Mexico last month. Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, 42, was detained February 18 during a scheduled interview for a green card application and deported the following day, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Estrada Juarez, a regional manager for Motel 6, had lived in California for 27 years, arriving at age 15, and is seeking immediate repatriation to the United States. Her lawsuit claims she was deported without being informed of a removal order and without the opportunity to contest her case before an immigration judge. Attorney Stacy Tolchin stated, “Maria’s deportation was unlawful and violated basic principles of due process. 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 case has drawn attention from members of Congress, including Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who has publicly expressed outrage over the deportation. The lawsuit challenges the Department of Homeland Security’s assertion that a judge ordered Estrada Juarez’s deportation in 1998, arguing that she has never been in removal proceedings. According to the complaint, the sole document Estrada Juarez received upon her removal was a verification of her physical removal from the U.S., not a formal removal order, and stated she was barred from returning for ten years due to a prior removal order.
Homeland Security maintains that Estrada Juarez was previously ordered deported by an immigration judge in 1998 and illegally re-entered the U.S., a felony. The department stated that her final order of removal was reinstated upon her arrest and that she was removed on February 19, 2026. However, the lawsuit contends that Estrada Juarez’s reentry in 2014 was legally permissible, as she entered the U.S. On advance parole, a travel document available to DACA recipients. The complaint asserts that reinstatement of removal requires an illegal reentry, which her entry on advance parole would not constitute.
Estrada Juarez initially came to the U.S. At age 15 and applied for legal permanent residency through her 22-year-traditional daughter, Damaris Bello, a U.S. Citizen. Her DACA status is currently valid until April 23, with a renewal application pending. “I followed the rules and showed up to my immigration appointment believing I was taking the next step toward stability,” Estrada Juarez said. “Instead, I was taken away from my daughter and forced out of the country overnight.”
The lawsuit includes an emergency request for the federal government to facilitate Estrada Juarez’s return to the U.S. Whereas the case is litigated. As of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security has not responded to requests for further comment on the pending litigation.
