Full Breakdown
Texas Mother Deported Despite DACA Status Files Federal Lawsuit
7/31/2026, 9:20:39 PM
Core Event
Jessica Treviño, a 34-year-old Texas resident who entered the United States at age 7, was arrested with her husband in December after federal agents followed them and two of their daughters into a Home Depot parking lot in South Texas. Both adults were deported to Matamoros, Mexico, while their three U.S. citizen children remain with relatives on the U.S. side of the border. On March 25, 2026 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a notice of intent to terminate Treviño’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status for “unauthorized travel,” the same day she was removed.
Background & Context
DACA, created in 2012, does not confer lawful permanent residency but grants temporary protection from removal and work authorization to individuals who arrived as children, provided they maintain a clean criminal record and do not travel abroad. Treviño’s DACA renewal and work permit were most recently authorized until April 2027.
Official Statements & Responses
An immigration judge issued a voluntary departure order in February while Treviño was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Attorney David Rozas filed a petition in Brownsville federal court seeking a declaration that the removal was unlawful, an order for Treviño’s return, and preservation of her DACA status.
A DHS letter sent in February to Democratic Senator Richard J. Durbin reported that the current administration had deported 86 DACA recipients and arrested 241 others.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I would be so blessed to be able to go back home, because that’s what I long for most right now. I’m really desperate. It’s been seven months since I’ve been home,” — Jessica Treviño, federal judge
