California Woman Reunites with Daughter After Deportation

Thu Apr 02 2026 03:19:18 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez, a mother deported after 27 years in the U.S., returns home following a court ruling, reuniting with her daughter Damaris Bello. The case sheds light on the challenges faced by DACA recipients.

Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez, a California mother who had lived in the U.S. for 27 years, was deported to Mexico in February but has now been ordered back by a judge. The case highlights the ongoing issues faced by DACA recipients and the complexities of immigration laws. Estrada Juárez's daughter expressed relief at being reunited, emphasizing the emotional toll of their separation.

A California woman who had been living in the U.S. for 27 years before the Trump administration deported her to Mexico in February reunited with her daughter this week after a judge ordered her return.

Mexican citizen Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez was among the hundreds of thousands shielded from deportation under a program allowing people brought to the U.S. as children to stay if they stay out of trouble. However, she was arrested at an immigration hearing in February.

I didn’t get to say goodbye, Estrada Juárez said during a news conference. Her swift deportation was traumatic, leaving both her and her daughter Damaris Bello heartbroken.

Bello described the pain of losing her mother suddenly, likening it to grieving someone who was still alive.

The case is a rare example of a judge reversing a deportation, emphasizing the potential violations against DACA protections. Authorities maintained that the deportation followed a 1998 removal order against Estrada Juárez, which she claimed she was unaware of.

U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins stated that her deportation was a “flagrant violation” of her DACA status, ordering her return. Estrada Juárez's lawyer argued that DACA grants a vested right against deportation. Bello expressed hope that other families won’t suffer similar hardships, highlighting the importance of family reunification.