- Guatemalan migrant O.C.G. was deported to Mexico despite having legal U.S. protection.
- DHS attributes the wrongful deportation to a software error.
- Lawyers have filed an emergency motion demanding his return to the U.S.
Background
The Trump administration has acknowledged a serious mistake in deporting a Guatemalan man to Mexico—despite the fact that he was legally protected from removal under U.S. immigration law. The migrant, identified in court documents as O.C.G., had been granted “withholding of removal” by an immigration judge, which prevents deportation to countries where a person faces persecution.
Details of the Deportation
Just two days after that ruling, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers deported O.C.G. to Mexico. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later admitted that a “software error” caused the wrongful removal. According to Law & Crime, DHS officers did not verify whether the migrant feared returning to Mexico—a key legal safeguard under U.S. and international law.
Legal Response
Attorneys representing O.C.G. have filed an emergency motion demanding his return to the United States, asserting that the deportation violated both due process and the U.S. government’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture. They also allege that DHS made misrepresentations to the federal court after the removal occurred.
Outlook and Advocacy Reaction
Immigration rights groups have condemned the deportation as an alarming example of what they call “collateral damage” from the Trump administration’s aggressive third-country deportation policies. As reported by El País, this marks at least the third such case of mistaken deportation in the past year alone. Advocates are now urging congressional oversight and system reforms to prevent further violations.
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