WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, attorneys for Jessica Treviño Villegas filed a petition in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas seeking her immediate return to the United States. Jessica, a Texas mother and DACA recipient with valid protected status through April 2027, was removed from the United States in March 2026 — an action her legal team and advocates claim was unlawful and in direct violation of her DACA protections.

Jessica came to the United States from Mexico at the age of seven and has lived in Alamo, Texas ever since. Prior to her unlawful removal, she was raising three U.S. citizen children — ages 16, 14, and 13 — worked in her community, and dutifully renewed her DACA every two years. Despite following every rule the government required of her, she was deported.

Through no fault of her own, and no fault of theirs, this family has been separated. Jessica’s oldest son has been forced to look after his younger siblings, worrying about bills, rent, and family responsibilities no teenager should carry alone. 

Jessica also shared her account of what happened, describing the confusion, fear, and pain of being taken from her children and the country she has known as home her entire life.

Now, on top of refusing to facilitate her return, the government has issued a Notice of Intent to Terminate Jessica's DACA status, falsely claiming she “engaged in unauthorized travel” outside the United States. The fact is that Jessica did not choose to leave, but was forcibly removed with an active DACA and without the ability to return. Her legal team is preparing a response and will vigorously contest any attempt to strip her of the protections she is legally entitled to.

Jessica's case is not unique or isolated. Around the country, and across the Rio Grande Valley, this administration has detained and deported hundreds of DACA recipients with active protections, separating them from their U.S. citizen children. Nearly half a million DACA recipients are living under this threat today. These are people who have built lives here, followed the rules, and contributed to their communities. They deserve a real, permanent path to citizenship — not an administration quietly and deliberately dismantling the only protection they have.

FWD.us and La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) stand with Jessica, with her children, and with every DACA recipient facing this governmental assault. We will not stop speaking up until she is home, and every Dreamer in this country has the permanent protection they deserve.

The following statements were issued in response to yesterday’s filing:

Statement from Jessica Treviño Villegas:

“I have lived in this country since I was a little girl. Ever since I first applied for DACA 14 years ago, I’ve done everything expected of me. I have renewed my DACA, followed every rule, and never stopped believing this country would do right by me and my family. Instead, I was taken from my children. And now, even after everything, the government is trying to take away the very protections that were supposed to keep me here.

“My children need their mother and I need them. I am not giving up — I am fighting to come home, and I will keep fighting for as long as it takes.

“No family should have to go through what we have been through. I am asking this administration to stop tearing families apart. Let me come home to my kids.”

Statement from David Rozas, Attorney for Jessica Treviño Villegas:

“Yesterday, we filed a federal mandamus action on behalf of Jessica Treviño Villegas, a DACA recipient who was unlawfully removed from the United States while her protections were fully valid. Jessica was detained by immigration authorities, denied release despite her DACA status, and ultimately deported to Mexico and has been separated from her three U.S. citizen children ever since. Her DACA remains valid through April 2027. The government had no lawful basis to remove her, and we filed this petition to demand she be brought back home.”

Statement from Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us:

“Jessica Treviño Villegas has lived in this country since she was a child, raised a family here, and held valid DACA protections that were supposed to guarantee she could stay. The government removed her anyway, and now, rather than bringing her home, it is trying to revoke the very status it violated when it deported her. This is not a bureaucratic mistake. This is what a deliberate, systematic effort to destroy DACA looks like in practice: target recipients one by one, manufacture justifications after the fact, and leave their children to grow up without them.

“Jessica's children are U.S. citizens. They have spent months without their mother through no fault of their own. This administration needs to stop attacking DACA and all who depend on it, facilitate Jessica's return immediately, and work with Congress to provide a permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. Half measures and delay have devastating consequences to families and communities.”

Statement from Tania Chavez, Executive Director of La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE):

“It’s been more than four months since our LUPE member, Jessica Treviño, was unlawfully removed and separated from her children and her life in the U.S. Instead of undoing the injustice and allowing her to return home USCIS is attempting to terminate her DACA on the false basis of unauthorized departure. 

“Let’s be clear: Jessica did not willingly leave the country. She was violently detained and illegally deported. The same agency that manufactured this chaos in Jessica’s life is now threatening to cause even more harm by taking away her DACA protections. It’s cruel, unlawful, and we cannot normalize this. 

“Jessica’s current DACA, which does not expire until April 2027, should have protected her from detention and deportation, and she should have never been separated from her family. Sadly, like too many other DACA beneficiaries, Jessica was failed by this administration and the agencies that oversee our immigration system.  

“We stand with Jessica as she and her legal team as they continue to fight for Jessica’s return. We are hopeful that the relentless community organizing and self-advocacy that Jessica has carried with her over the last seven months will ensure her immediate and safe return home to her family.”

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