Deportation of DACA Recipient Sparks Outcry, Renewed Calls for Legislative Action

Washington — The recent deportation of Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, a California woman with active Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection, has ignited a firestorm of criticism and renewed calls for Congress to pass legislation safeguarding DACA recipients from deportation. The case highlights growing concerns over the Trump administration’s enforcement of immigration policies and the potential for wrongful targeting of individuals who have long considered the U.S. Their home.

Estrada Juarez’s Case: A Timeline of Events

Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez, 42, resided in California for 27 years before her unexpected detention, and deportation. She arrived at the John E. Moss Federal Building in Sacramento on February 18, 2026, with her 22-year-vintage U.S. Citizen daughter, Damaris Bello, for a 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 pressured her to sign a voluntary deportation form. When she refused, Rodriguez alleges an officer forcibly applied her fingerprint to the document.

Estrada Juarez was deported to Tijuana, Mexico, the following morning. Despite having active DACA status and no criminal history, she was deported based on a 1998 deportation order, which advocates argue should have been superseded by her protected status.

Senators Demand Answers and Action

Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have led the charge in demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding Estrada Juarez’s case and the broader trend of DACA recipient deportations. They have called for Estrada Juarez’s return to the U.S. And urged Congress to enact legislation providing a permanent pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on February 26, 2026, Senator Durbin questioned DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about the deportations. Noem stated the department follows all applicable laws but was unable to provide specific details regarding Estrada Juarez’s case, promising to investigate further. [Padilla Press Release]

Padilla met with Estrada Juarez’s daughter this week and emphasized the importance of legislative action. “DACA recipients did everything right and followed all the instructions laid out in the program,” he 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.”

Conflicting Data and Concerns Over Transparency

Concerns have been raised regarding conflicting data provided by DHS to members of Congress regarding the number of DACA recipients detained and deported. Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) highlighted discrepancies in letters from Secretary Noem, with one letter stating 270 DACA recipients were arrested between January 1 and September 28, 2025, while another reported 261 arrests and 86 deportations between January 1 and November 19, 2025. [Notus.org]

These inconsistencies have fueled accusations of incompetence or intentional misdirection by DHS. Lawmakers also cited the case of a deaf and non-verbal DACA recipient who was detained last year during immigration raids in Los Angeles, despite having no criminal history.

The Status of DACA

As of June 2025, there were over 515,000 DACA recipients in the U.S., a decrease from the program’s peak of nearly 800,000. California has the largest number of DACA recipients, with 144,000 individuals benefiting from the program. [Notus.org]

The DACA program, established during the Obama administration in 2012, provides protection from deportation and work authorization to individuals brought to the U.S. As children. President Trump attempted to eliminate the program during his first term but was unsuccessful. The program’s future remains uncertain, pending ongoing litigation and Congressional action.

Looking Ahead

The deportation of Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability faced by DACA recipients and the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform. Advocates and lawmakers continue to push for a legislative solution that provides a permanent pathway to citizenship for these individuals, allowing them to fully contribute to American society without fear of deportation. [AOL]