(Image Credit: IMAGN) Feb 8, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos is locked in a van that is stopped by protesters outside the ICE office in Phoenix, Ariz. For the past four years, federal immigration authorities have given Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos a pass to remain in the U.S. rather than deport her back to Mexico. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK
Coachella Valley, California – A man who has spent nearly three decades in the United States, awaiting his green card, was detained and deported while trying to return to the U.S. from Mexico earlier this month, sparking concerns over increased deportation practices and treatment by immigration authorities.
David Valdéz, a Coachella Valley resident, arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa 30 years ago and has since been living here legally while his son, a U.S. citizen, petitioned for his residency. This petition granted him protection from deportation, along with work authorization and permission to travel. In early March, Valdéz took the opportunity to visit his mother in Mexico, making the trip for the first time in three decades.
But when Valdéz tried to re-enter the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on March 2, he was detained for 10 hours before being deported without a hearing. According to his attorney, Noemi Ramirez, Valdéz was handcuffed for the entire detention, only being unshackled when he had to sign documents, at which point officers chained his ankles.
“They treated me like a criminal,” Valdéz said. “I was depressed and felt powerless because I couldn’t do anything. I kept thinking about my children, especially my son with special needs, who I was being separated from.”
Even more troubling, Valdéz was charged as an “aggravated felon,” despite having no criminal convictions, and was deported to Tijuana under the expedited removal process. Ramirez, who has been practicing immigration law for 30 years, stated she had never encountered a case like this before, where someone with legal protections was treated so harshly without explanation.
Attempts to get a comment from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were unsuccessful. However, after Ramirez escalated the case, CBP reversed its decision, allowing Valdéz to return to the U.S. on March 4—without offering any explanation for the original detainment or deportation.
Ramirez believes this incident highlights a troubling trend: the increasing power of ICE and CBP, with little oversight or accountability. “There’s a lot of abuse of power,” she said. “It’s an era where people with clean records are questioning whether they can travel without facing similar treatment.”
Valdéz, understandably shaken by the ordeal, is now fearful of returning to Mexico. He plans to wait until his green card process is finalized before attempting any more travel, though it remains unclear how this incident might impact that process.
“I don’t deserve this,” Valdéz said. “They know what they’re doing, and they still treat people unfairly.”
