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DACA-Recipient in Green Card Process Stuck in Mexico After Visa Appointment
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Carlos Zurita, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who came to the United States as a toddler, has been stuck in Mexico for a month after attending a visa interview, according to his sister-in-law, Kelsea Iguanzo.
Newsweek has reached out to Zurita's lawyer, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico via email on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
Zurita's situation comes amid an ongoing immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history and has detained and deported thousands of people in recent months.
In 2012, then-President Barack Obama introduced the DACA program, offering protections and work authorizations for millions of undocumented residents who came to the U.S. as minors. The program, which has about 538,000 active participants, has been in legal and political limbo for years as courts have weighed its validity.
The first Trump administration attempted to end the DACA program, but the president also proposed extending protections for its recipients as part of broader immigration deals that included funding for a border wall and other policy changes.
The Trump administration has repeatedly warned green card holders, who are lawful permanent residents, that their stay in the country is not guaranteed and could be revoked if they are deemed a threat to national interests.
What To Know
Zurita was born in Mexico and came to the United States when he was 2 years old, Iguanzo wrote in an online fundraiser. He grew up in Fredericksburg, Texas, and then later moved to San Antonio, where he owns a landscaping company.
In 2012, he was a recipient of DACA, she wrote, adding, "He has maintained his status faithfully and complied with every legal requirement year after year."
He married Kendall Zurita, a U.S. citizen, in 2018 and began the process of obtaining a green card. His four children are U.S. citizens.
"As part of that process, Carlos was required to leave the U.S. and travel to Mexico for an official visa interview," Iguanzo said. Consular officers typically conduct visa interviews later in the green card process.
Inset: A photo of Carlos Zurita from a GoFundMe page. Main: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), workers handle folders with immigrants' applications for permanent U.S. residency at the Dallas Field Office on August 22,...
Inset: A photo of Carlos Zurita from a GoFundMe page. Main: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), workers handle folders with immigrants' applications for permanent U.S. residency at the Dallas Field Office on August 22, 2016, in Irving, Texas. MoreOn May 22, he went to Mexico for his interview and has been there for about a month, and his application has been placed on administrative hold.
His lawyer, Monica Saenz, told local outlet KENS 5 that he has no criminal history and has passed multiple background checks.
The fundraiser for his family and legal fees has raised around $3,000.
What People Are Saying
Kendall Zurita, Zurita's wife, told KENS5: "We're past 30 days and we haven't heard anything...I mean, they tell us it could be a couple of weeks, a couple of months or it could be up to a year," she said.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security previously told Newsweek: "The Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws—something the previous administration failed to do. Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained, and removed as required."
Vice President JD Vance said in a Fox News interview in March: "A green card holder, even if I may like that green card holder, doesn't have an indefinite right to be in the United States of America. If the Secretary of State and the President decide, 'This person shouldn't be in America,' it's as simple as that."
What Happens Next
Zurita's wife says the family has been spending as much as $600 a week on his hotel stay in Mexico. It remains unclear when and if he may return to the U.S.
