Protesters gather at JFK International Airport in New York against Donald Trump's executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries. January 28, 2017.
Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images
In February, President Donald Trump's administration released new immigration guidelines. The rules widened the pool of undocumented immigrants who qualify for deportation, and was purported to not include "DREAMers," children who came to the United States without authorization.
A new report in USA Today alleges that Juan Manuel Montes, a 23-year old DREAMer, was deported to Mexico earlier this year. He is now staying with relatives in western Mexico.
Montes was shielded from deportation twice under President Obama's DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, which granted protections for over 750,000 undocumented immigrants. In January, President Trump intimated to ABC News that these individuals would be safe ("They shouldn't be very worried,") while also indicating that he was flexible on the issue of their presence in the United States. "We will be talking to the attorney general," Trump said.
Immigration advocacy group United We Dream told USA Today that at least 10 DREAMers have been arrested and are awaiting deportation.
On the night of his seizure, Montes said he was waiting for a ride after spending time with his girlfriend. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer approached him and asked for identification, but Montes had left his wallet in a friend's car. Montes, who has learning disabilities sustained from a brain injury, then said he was taken into custody and presented with documentation he didn't understand. "They detained me, they took me to a center, they asked me a lot of questions, and I signed a lot of papers," he said.
Within three hours he was back in Mexico. The following night, after being robbed and beaten, he attempted to cross back into the United States again, but was detained and deported once more.
Attorneys have filed a motion in California requesting details from U.S. Customs and Border Protection of Montes's interaction with the officer who initially detained him.