SACRAMENTO, CA—Yesterday, Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez was joined by her attorneys, family members, elected officials, and immigrant rights advocates for a press conference at Sacramento City Hall following her return to the United States after being unlawfully detained and deported on February 19, 2026. 

Maria is a Sacramento mother, DACA recipient, and decades-long U.S. resident. She attended a scheduled immigration appointment, but less than 24 hours later, she was detained and deported without an opportunity to consult legal counsel. Now that she has returned home, she is speaking publicly about her experience and the impact on her family – particularly the emotional toll of this experience, including the devastation of being taken from her 22-year-old daughter, whom she has raised as a single mother. 

“This has been one of the most painful experiences of my life. As a mother, being separated from my child like that—feeling helpless, not knowing if she was okay—broke my heart in a way I can’t fully describe,” shared Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez at the press conference. “I am grateful to the court for recognizing that what happened to me was wrong and for bringing me home. But no one should have to go through this. Now, my focus is on moving forward—on continuing my DACA renewal, which is pending, and on fighting the unjust decision that denied my green card. I will not give up on my future or on my family.”

“It’s difficult to describe what it feels like to lose your mother so suddenly, especially when you believed she was safe. It was like grieving someone who is alive,” said Damaris Bello, Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez’s daughter. “My mom belongs here. Our family belongs together. And we will keep fighting to make sure other families don’t have to go through what we did.”

“A federal court looked at the facts and agreed that Maria was in DACA status and could not be removed. The court ordered the government to bring Maria back and restore things back to the status quo as if this unlawful removal never happened. That does not happen often, and it says a lot about how serious this was,” shared Stacy Tolchin, Maria’s attorney. “This case is not just about Maria. It shows how quickly things can go wrong, even for people who are doing everything right. It shows just why due process is so important.”

Several California elected officials spoke out on Maria’s return: 

• “This never should have happened — Maria is a Dreamer who followed the rules, maintained active legal status, and has called Sacramento home for nearly three decades,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA). “I’m thankful that she is finally home with her daughter in Sacramento, where she belongs. I will continue fighting for the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients who remain targets of this Administration's lawless and cruel mass deportation agenda.”
• “I am grateful to see that Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez is back home in the United States and reunited with her daughter and other loved ones. This is where she belongs,” said U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA). As someone with DACA status, she should have never been detained or removed in the first place. Under this administration, our country has witnessed ongoing and careless attacks against our immigrant communities, actions that have traumatized individuals, their families, and even torn families apart. Maria’s case is the latest example of why we must continue to speak up for our neighbors, community members, and friends. We cannot continue to let this administration's mass detention and deportation agenda go unchecked.” 
• “Maria was brave enough to share her story with the rest of us. But there are thousands of people just like her being deported without reason. Without explanation. Without due process. We must continue to speak up, share our stories, use any privilege you have, and keep up the fight against a federal government that abuses the very constitution that was meant to guide this country,” said Sacramento City Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes.

“Maria’s experience underscores the lack of permanent protections for DACA recipients. Since its creation, DACA has been an incredible success that has had broad bipartisan support,” shared Maria Praeli, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy at FWD.us. “The only way to provide lasting certainty for families and prevent situations like this from happening is through legislative action—which is long overdue. The immediate priority is ensuring accountability in cases such as Maria's, addressing failures in DACA processing, and moving toward lasting solutions that acknowledge the realities of people's lives.”

“Maria’s deportation was an unlawful attack on a legally residing member of the Sacramento community and is indicative of a greater onslaught against DACA recipients,” said Ivonne Rodriguez, Press Director at FWD.us, who has followed Maria on her journey, including traveling to Mexico to advocate for her return. “Seeing Maria’s strength and resilience has been nothing short of inspiring. It is past time to secure and maintain permanent legal protections for people like Maria so that others do not have to face these challenges.”

Maria's return is a major legal victory and a positive step after her unjust deportation. However, Maria is still awaiting a decision from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding her motion to reconsider a green card denial. This denial was based on the same flawed and incomplete removal order issued in 1998, when Maria was only 15 and unaware of the legal proceedings against her.