LULAC Decries Deportation of 'DREAMer' Juan Manuel Montes

April 20, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, news broke that the Trump administration had deported the first DREAMer. Juan Manuel Montes Bojorquez, 23, a beneficiary of President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with authorization to work and live in the United States, was taken into custody in February by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) authorities in Calexico, California after walking to a taxi station.

Montes was granted DACA protection in 2014 and successfully renewed his status in 2016 for another two years. He is a student at a community college and working in agriculture with an active work permit.

"Young people like Juan Montes took the proper steps to abide by the law and be granted relief from deportation by the federal government," said LULAC National President Roger C. Rocha, Jr. "CBP is not above the law and should have never overstepped their legal authority on immigration. We call on President Trump to have CBP rectify this injustice immediately."

“After numerous promises to protect DACA beneficiaries, President Trump has destroyed the integrity of the program by detaining and deporting those protected by it," said Rocha.

Since its inception in 2014, DACA has protected over 750,000 young immigrants from deportation, allowing them to pursue college degrees, military service, and jobs. Although DACA has not yet been overturned by the Trump administration, new enforcement guidelines have begun to boost the number of deportations.

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The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1000 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.lulac.org.