A California woman who resided in the U.S. for 27 years was reunited with her daughter this week after being deported to Mexico by the Trump administration in February. A judge subsequently ordered her return to the United States.

Rare Judicial Intervention

Maria de Jesús Estrada Juárez, 42, spoke at a news conference in Sacramento on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, alongside her daughter, Damaris Bello. The case is considered a rare instance of a judge ordering the return of an individual after deportation, according to Talia Inlender, deputy director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law.

Deportation and Separation

Estrada Juárez was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on February 18th during an immigration hearing and deported the following day. “I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Estrada Juárez stated. “It all happened so fast. This has been one of the most painful experiences of my life.”

Her daughter, Damaris Bello, 22, described the experience as akin to grieving someone still alive. “It’s hard to describe what it feels like to lose your mother so suddenly, especially when you believed she was safe,” Bello said.

DACA and the 1998 Removal Order

Estrada Juárez had DACA status since 2013, a program allowing individuals brought to the U.S. as children to remain if they avoid legal trouble. However, federal officials reinstated a 1998 removal order, issued when Estrada Juárez was a teenager shortly after arriving in the U.S. She had briefly returned to Mexico at that time before re-entering the country.

Judge's Ruling

U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, appointed by President Joe Biden, issued a temporary restraining order on March 23rd, mandating the federal government to facilitate Estrada Juárez’s return within seven days. Judge Coggins stated the deportation was a “flagrant violation” of Estrada Juárez’s DACA protections and due process rights.

ICE confirmed they are following all court orders, but a department spokesperson characterized the ruling as coming from a “Biden-appointed activist judge.”

Looking Ahead

Immigration attorney Stacy Tolchin emphasized that DACA provides a “vested right to not be deported once it’s granted.” Bello expressed relief at her mother’s return, stating, “Having her back home means everything to me. It means we can begin to heal, to rebuild and to move forward together as a family.”