{"id":45496,"date":"2026-04-01T01:42:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/daca-recipient-reunites-with-daughter-after-judge-orders-return-from-deportation\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T01:42:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:42:56","slug":"daca-recipient-reunites-with-daughter-after-judge-orders-return-from-deportation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/daca-recipient-reunites-with-daughter-after-judge-orders-return-from-deportation\/","title":{"rendered":"DACA Recipient Reunites with Daughter After Judge Orders Return from Deportation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

SACRAMENTO, Calif. \u2014 A mother who spent nearly three decades building a life in the United States has been reunited with her daughter following a federal judge’s order to reverse her deportation to Mexico.<\/p>

Maria de Jes\u00fas Estrada Ju\u00e1rez, a 42-year-old Mexican national, had been protected from removal under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shields individuals brought to America as minors from deportation if they maintain clean records.<\/p>

Her protection ended abruptly on February 18 when she attended a scheduled immigration appointment and was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. She was removed from the country within 24 hours.<\/p>

“I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Estrada Ju\u00e1rez told reporters during a Tuesday press conference in Sacramento. “It all happened so fast. This has been one of the most painful experiences of my life.”<\/p>

Standing beside her daughter and becoming emotional while recounting her ordeal, the mother described the sudden separation that tore their family apart.<\/p>

“It’s hard to describe what it feels like to lose your mother so suddenly, especially when you believed she was safe,” explained 22-year-old Damaris Bello, Estrada Ju\u00e1rez’s daughter. “It was like grieving someone who was still alive.”<\/p>

The deportation represents part of a broader pattern under the current Trump administration, which has detained multiple DACA recipients as part of its immigration enforcement strategy.<\/p>

Immigration rights advocates point to Estrada Ju\u00e1rez’s case as evidence that Dreamers need stronger, more permanent legal protections.<\/p>

According to Talia Inlender from UCLA School of Law’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy, judicial orders mandating someone’s return after deportation are uncommon occurrences.<\/p>

“But, perhaps unsurprisingly, it feels like this is happening with more frequency under the current administration which is prioritizing speed and quotas, rather than fairness and process, in facilitating removals,” Inlender stated.<\/p>

Government officials justified the deportation by citing a 1998 removal order issued when Estrada Ju\u00e1rez was still a teenager, shortly after her arrival in America. Though she was sent to Mexico at that time, she returned weeks later and received DACA status in 2013. Authorities reactivated the decades-old order following her February arrest.<\/p>

During her separation, Estrada Ju\u00e1rez stayed with family members in Mexico while worrying constantly about her daughter.<\/p>

“You can’t enjoy life when the most important part of your life is not there,” she reflected.<\/p>

U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, a Biden appointee, issued emergency relief on March 23, requiring federal authorities to bring Estrada Ju\u00e1rez back within one week. The judge determined her removal constituted a “flagrant violation” of DACA protections and violated constitutional due process guarantees.<\/p>

The Department of Homeland Security stands by its actions in the case.<\/p>

“ICE follows all court orders,” a department representative stated. “This is yet another ruling from a Biden-appointed activist judge.”<\/p>

Estrada Ju\u00e1rez’s legal team maintains she had no knowledge of the 1998 order, which they argue was never properly finalized.<\/p>

“DACA gives you a vested right to not be deported once it’s granted,” said Stacy Tolchin, a Pasadena-based immigration lawyer. “I really don’t understand what they’re doing.”<\/p>

Bello, who welcomed her mother home Monday evening, says the family is working to recover from the traumatic experience while hoping others won’t face similar ordeals.<\/p>

“Having her back home means everything to me,” she shared. “It means we can begin to heal, to rebuild and to move forward together as a family.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A California mother who lived in the U.S. for 27 years was deported to Mexico in February despite DACA protections. A federal judge ordered her return after ruling the deportation violated her rights, and she reunited with her daughter this week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":45495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775022176218.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-bPO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47166,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/daca-recipient-returns-home-after-erroneous-deportation\/","url_meta":{"origin":45496,"position":0},"title":"DACA Recipient Returns Home After Erroneous Deportation","author":"Admin","date":"April 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Maria de Jes\u00fas Estrada Ju\u00e1rez has come back to the United States this week following an improper deportation. NPR's Scott Simon conducted an interview with Estrada Ju\u00e1rez and her daughter Damaris Bello regarding their ordeal.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775303448725.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":46094,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/asylum-seekers-face-deportation-to-countries-theyve-never-visited\/","url_meta":{"origin":45496,"position":1},"title":"Asylum Seekers Face Deportation to Countries They’ve Never Visited","author":"Admin","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Over 13,000 asylum seekers legally living in the U.S. have received deportation orders to third countries where they have no connections. Despite these orders, few have actually been deported, leaving many in legal limbo without work permits.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775104796883.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775104796883.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775104796883.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775104796883.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49992,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/palestinian-activist-loses-immigration-appeal-faces-deportation\/","url_meta":{"origin":45496,"position":2},"title":"Palestinian Activist Loses Immigration Appeal, Faces Deportation","author":"Admin","date":"April 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Board of Immigration Appeals has rejected Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil's latest effort to have his deportation case thrown out. The ruling moves Khalil closer to potential removal from the United States.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24598,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/delaware-adopted-daughter-of-us-veteran-faces-deportation-to-iran\/","url_meta":{"origin":45496,"position":3},"title":"Delaware: Adopted Daughter of US Veteran Faces Deportation to Iran","author":"Admin","date":"February 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A woman adopted as a child by an American Air Force veteran from an Iranian orphanage now faces deportation to Iran due to a citizenship paperwork error from the 1970s. The Christian woman, who has no criminal record, could face persecution or death if sent to Iran, where tensions with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771687918040.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771687918040.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771687918040.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771687918040.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57311,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-appeals-court-reverses-decision-allows-daca-recipient-deportation\/","url_meta":{"origin":45496,"position":4},"title":"Federal Appeals Court Reverses Decision, Allows DACA Recipient Deportation","author":"Admin","date":"April 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A federal immigration appeals panel has overturned a lower court's decision that would have halted deportation proceedings against a DACA recipient. The ruling makes it potentially easier for the government to pursue removal cases against individuals protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777112621633-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777112621633-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777112621633-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777112621633-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777112621633-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48101,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/army-sergeant-fights-to-stop-wifes-deportation-after-base-detention\/","url_meta":{"origin":45496,"position":5},"title":"Army Sergeant Fights to Stop Wife’s Deportation After Base Detention","author":"Admin","date":"April 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A U.S. Army staff sergeant is battling to prevent his wife's deportation after federal agents detained her at Fort Polk, Louisiana, just days after their wedding. The 22-year-old woman from Honduras was taken into custody while trying to apply for military benefits and legal status.","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775518650016.jpg?fit=808%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775518650016.jpg?fit=808%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775518650016.jpg?fit=808%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775518650016.jpg?fit=808%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}