Judge Orders Return of Deported DACA Recipient

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to return a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient to the United States after finding her deportation violated federal protections and constitutional due process.

California U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins ruled that Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez was removed "in flagrant violation" of the protections tied to DACA and the Fifth Amendment.

DACA is a federal policy created by the administration of Democrat President Barack Obama in 2012 that allows some people who were brought into the U.S. as minors, without legal status, to receive temporary protection from deportation. The Fifth Amendment guarantees due process, requiring the government to act with fairness and follow established legal procedures — an issue central to the court’s ruling.

For eligible recipients, it means they can legally work in the U.S. and remain in the country for a set period, typically two years at a time, subject to renewal. It does not provide permanent legal status or a path to citizenship, and it can be revoked or changed by federal policy or court rulings.

The court directed the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Estrada within seven days and restore her DACA status as if the February removal had not occurred.

Politico reported that Estrada, a native of Mexico, entered the U.S. in 1998 at age 15 and has lived in the country for more than 27 years, including under DACA protections granted in 2013.

Her DACA status remained active through April 2026 and had not been revoked at the time of her detention and removal, according to the court.

On Feb. 18, Estrada appeared at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hearing tied to her application for lawful permanent residency, where officers denied her application, informed her of a prior removal order, and detained her.

She was deported the next morning, less than 24 hours later.

Coggins found Estrada was removed without notice or an opportunity to challenge the action, concluding that DACA confers meaningful protections that cannot be stripped without due process.

The judge cited the Supreme Court’s 2020 decision preserving DACA, writing that the program is not simply a passive enforcement policy but "a program for conferring affirmative relief."

The court rejected the Justice Department’s argument that the court lacked jurisdiction and that DACA only deprioritizes removal, finding the case instead turns on whether officials had lawful authority to remove her while her status remained active.

Coggins also determined the deportation met the threshold of an "extreme circumstance," noting Estrada was removed shortly after appearing in good faith at a federal hearing and sent to a country where she had not lived in decades.

Estrada told the court her removal caused severe emotional and financial strain.

Government attorneys argued Estrada remained subject to a prior removal order and that DACA reflects prosecutorial discretion rather than a guarantee against deportation.

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