“Flagrant Violation”: Judge Orders Return of Mother Deported Despite DACA

Mother Jones
by Isabela Dias
March 24, 2026
5 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to return a Sacramento mother deported despite holding DACA protection.

How This Affects You

DACA holders and their families now have judicial recourse against deportations, establishing legal precedent protecting immigrants with active protection status.

AI Summary

A federal judge in California on Monday ordered the Trump administration to return Sacramento mother Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez to the United States within seven days, ruling her February deportation to Mexico violated her constitutional rights and DACA protections. Estrada Juarez, who had held active DACA status since 2013 and was in the middle of a green card interview when detained, was deported within 24 hours based on a decades-old 1998 removal order that her lawyer argues was never properly finalized. Judge Dena Coggins found the deportation occurred in "flagrant violation" of regulatory protections and rejected the Trump administration's argument that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case. The judge determined Estrada Juarez's removal constituted an "extreme circumstance" warranting judicial intervention, citing the severe emotional and financial harm to her daughter, an only child who said she may have to leave their shared home without her mother's income. Estrada Juarez's lawyer, Stacy Tolchin, has also asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the reinstatement of the removal order and filed a motion with USCIS to reconsider the green card denial.

What's Being Done

A federal judge in California has ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the deportee's return to the United States.

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over California egg prices
Politics

Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over California egg prices

A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration against California last summer over the cost of eggs. U.S. District Judge Marc C. Scarsi, a Trump appointee, found that the federal government lacked standing to challenge California laws and regulations governing the production, sale and shipment of eggs. Scarsi did not…

The HillMar 19
Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over California egg prices - The Hill
Politics

Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over California egg prices - The Hill

The HillMar 19
RFK Jr overstepped in declaring gender-affirming treatments unsafe, judge rules
Civil Rights

RFK Jr overstepped in declaring gender-affirming treatments unsafe, judge rules

<p>Judge rules that Trump’s health secretary did not go through proper procedures when issuing declaration</p><p>Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary, overstepped his power when he declared that gender-affirming treatments are unsafe, a federal judge has ruled.</p><p>In a blow to the Trump administration’s attempts to limit access to gender transition procedures, Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled Thursday that Kennedy did not go through the proper procedures when issuing his 12-page declaration last December.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/20/rfk-jr-gender-affirming-treatment-ruling">Continue reading...</a>

The Guardian US NewsMar 20
Federal judge denies asylum claim for family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos
Civil Rights

Federal judge denies asylum claim for family of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos

A federal judge has denied the asylum claim​ for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos​, a 5-year-old Minnesota boy whose arrest by ICE in January gained national attention.

CBS NewsMar 19
Trump’s EPA is paving the way for haze to return to national parks, conservationists warn - AP News
Environment

Trump’s EPA is paving the way for haze to return to national parks, conservationists warn - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxPY3NxdU1wbk5wNHZJczVUWE15N2JQUW5TSFZvekVrb2dINDJSMXA2eEtnRGExRUJhQmExN3dFeURaSEFTT1h6aFJYVXNpLVVEdVRvUV9CVmZMREQ3NHV6RHpoMFAyQ0RVRDU0Mk9nb2lndG5YMlNyZ094SWRhNnRtTVlPR2xxY3JyX1F0Mk5rV2JmN0FmRC1UTDltdi1sdTJ5MjFGVUt4S0g?oc=5" target="_blank">Trump’s EPA is paving the way for haze to return to national parks, conservationists warn</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 22
Costa Rica Agrees to Take Migrants Deported by the Trump Administration
Politics

Costa Rica Agrees to Take Migrants Deported by the Trump Administration

The agreement is part of President Trump’s efforts to find governments willing to accept people who have been detained in the United States.

New York TimesMar 24
Read Next
Mother was allegedly trafficked to US and illegally detained by ICE while accused abuser is free, lawyers say
Civil Rights

Mother was allegedly trafficked to US and illegally detained by ICE while accused abuser is free, lawyers say

<p>The woman was arrested at routine ICE check-in and separated from two children, aged 18 months and four</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>A <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/venezuela">Venezuelan</a> mother of two who was allegedly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/human-trafficking">trafficked</a> to the US has been unlawfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ice-us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement">ICE</a>) and could soon be deported, according to her lawyers.</p><p>The woman has applications in process for asylum and a visa designed for victims of traf...

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources