Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones stands next to a sign outside of the Butler County jail on February 28, 2025.
Santa Ana, CA – Esmerlyn De Jesus Peralta, an undocumented migrant who has resided in Santa Ana for three years, faces imminent deportation to the Dominican Republic, the country he fled due to violence. His case highlights potential issues surrounding the now-defunct CBP One app, which he relied on for asylum appointments.
Peralta, who arrived in the U.S. in 2022, was detained after attending what he believed was a routine check-in with immigration officials. His girlfriend, Ashley Wang, expressed shock, emphasizing Peralta’s lack of criminal record, valid work permit, and social security number.
Wang explained that Peralta had been employed as a groundskeeper and was involved in local youth sports, including assisting with her daughter’s little league team. However, his situation changed after the new administration took office on January 20th.
Peralta’s CBP One app, designed to streamline migrant processing, ceased functioning. When he contacted immigration officials, he was instructed to appear at the Santa Ana office on February 13th. There, he was informed he had missed a detention hearing on January 22nd, a date he claims he was unaware of due to the app’s malfunction.
“The judge said she had told him that the hearing would be January 22nd, 2025 and he didn’t appear to that. But he has paperwork with him that shows his hearing would be for March 25th, so he didn’t know about the hearing date,” Wang stated.
ICE officials confirmed Peralta has final orders of removal, asserting that “after exhausting all his due process, there was no legal basis to allow De Jesus to remain in the U.S.”
Immigration attorney Alma Rosa Nieto, who is not representing Peralta, suggested that the CBP One app disruption could provide grounds for an appeal. “He has a right to appeal this,” Nieto said. “Because CBP One was recently canceled and this is what this individual was relying on to connect with ICE to know when his interviews were, I see this would be grounds for him to appeal.” She added that the app’s abrupt termination could affect other individuals in similar situations.
Wang and Peralta are pursuing an appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals and have gathered community support through signatures. Peralta was scheduled for a deportation flight, which was unexpectedly canceled, leaving him in limbo.
“He keeps asking for an update and they just tell him they don’t know,” Wang said.
Peralta remains in U.S. custody, awaiting the outcome of his appeal, hoping to remain in the country he now considers home. ICE has yet to respond to requests for comment.
