WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, FWD.us and La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) condemned the wrongful deportation of Jessica Treviño, a DACA recipient from Alamo, Texas, whose DACA status is valid through April 2027. Jessica was detained on December 28, 2025 and deported to Mexico on March 25, 2026. Her status was and remains valid. She is now separated from her three U.S. citizen children, ages 16, 14, and 13.

Jessica Treviño did everything right. She maintained her DACA and built a family in Alamo, Texas. She was issued a voluntary departure by a judge, but that order could not be legally executed while she held valid DACA status. ICE kept her detained for months and deported her. That removal was unlawful. Jessica’s three children are U.S. citizens currently being cared for by a family member.

The government must facilitate Jessica’s return to the United States immediately, and ensure that ICE does not detain her upon her arrival. Jessica must be able to return home and be reunited with her children. This has been done this year when this administration wrongfully deported DACA recipients. 

Jessica’s case is not an anomaly. As of February 2026, more than 261 DACA recipients had been detained and over 86 have been deported, many like Jessica with valid, unexpired status. The government has not shared updated data for 2026. This is the systematic dismantling of a policy that currently protects nearly 530,000 people who have lived, worked, and built families in the United States for decades, carried out case by case, without formal policy change or public announcement.

In response, FWD.us President Todd Schulte, LUPE Executive Director Tania Chavez Camacho, and Stacy Tolchin, Jessica's attorney, issued the following statements:

Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us:

“The administration should take every step to immediately return Jessica to the U.S. and to her children. DACA provides protection from deportation, and the administration misled her and told her that her status had expired when it had not in order to unlawfully deport her. Her three U.S. citizen children are now separated from their mother. The administration should immediately facilitate Jessica's return to the United States so she can be reunited with her children and also to halt enforcement actions against individuals with valid DACA status. Every day without action is a choice, and Jessica Treviño is what that choice looks like.”

Tania Chavez Camacho, Executive Director of  LUPE:

“It’s incredibly painful and unacceptable that we are once again fighting to bring home another LUPE member and DACA recipient. Jessica Treviño’s detention and deportation are part of a broader pattern of attacks on our community, especially in South Texas, where many DACA recipients live and contribute every day.  Jessica did everything that was asked of her; she followed the rules; she renewed her DACA; and she worked to build a life with security for her children. Jessica’s home is in the Rio Grande Valley. Jessica’s home is in this country. She and her family are part of our country's present and future. 

“DACA recipients are part of our economic engine and the social fabric of our society. Attacks like this one are examples of why DACA recipients need permanent, clear, and immediate pathways to citizenship. Jessica was deported with current DACA. It’s time to fix the immigration system so that families remain together, children are protected, and everyone can contribute and participate in their communities without fear.”

Stacy Tolchin, Attorney for Jessica Treviño:

“Regardless of whether Jessica was granted voluntary departure or ordered removed, DHS could not send Jessica out of the United States while she was in DACA status. What happened to Jessica was unlawful, and the government has recognized this in the past in other cases when it has returned other DACA recipients who were also unlawfully removed. We are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to facilitate her immediate return to the United States.”

Additional FWD.us Resources:

• DACA 14 Years Later: From students to careers and families
• DACA Recipients Are Under Renewed Attacks: It’s time to stop DACA delays, denials, detentions, and deportations
• Dreamers by the Numbers: The Economic Contributions of DACA Recipients
• DACA Court Case Updates: Summary of current litigation and potential impacts for DACA recipients