The return of a U.S. citizen deported to Mexico has intensified calls for legislation to prevent federal immigration agencies from detaining American citizens.
A 25-year-old native-born American citizen has returned to Texas after being deported to Mexico for four months, drawing national attention to proposed federal legislation aimed at preventing immigration authorities from detaining U.S. citizens.
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, highlighted the case of Brian José Morales García on X, urging Congress to pass the “Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act.” This proposed legislation seeks to prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from utilizing federal funds to detain American citizens or transport them outside the country.
Morales García was deported following a traffic stop in Gillespie County, Texas, in April. Local police contacted immigration authorities, prompting Morales García to inform federal officials that he was a U.S. citizen born in Colorado and offered to present his birth certificate. Despite his assertions, the Department of Homeland Security disputed his citizenship and subsequently deported him to Mexico.
Initially, Border Protection questioned Morales García’s citizenship claim, stating that record checks indicated he was unlawfully present in the U.S. and that he had admitted to being a Mexican national who entered the country illegally. However, Morales García’s attorney later clarified that he fabricated details about his entry only after agents repeatedly accused him of lying and threatened him with imprisonment.
“Now that he’s back in the country, our next step is to hold the officer, state, and federal responsible for their conduct because nothing is going to change unless ICE and DPS realize that when they abuse someone, especially a U.S. citizen, there’s a price to pay,” said Dicky Grigg, a co-counsel representing Morales García.
Months later, Morales García returned to the United States after federal prosecutors accepted documentation submitted by his attorneys, including a certified Colorado birth certificate, hospital delivery records, baptismal certificates, and witness affidavits. This allowed him to return while his federal lawsuit proceeds.
Jayapal characterized Morales García’s experience as part of a broader pattern of illegal detentions and removals of citizens during enforcement operations. “This is my client. Thank you for sharing his story. This never should have occurred,” wrote Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, García’s attorney, under Jayapal’s post on X.
“Brian is just one of several U.S. citizens who have been kidnapped under the guise of immigration enforcement,” Jayapal stated. “This needs to stop. Congress must pass my Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act to ensure no other citizens have to experience this cruelty.”
Morales García’s legal team has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and individual officers, seeking monetary damages and an official judicial declaration confirming his U.S. citizenship. While his return offers some relief, his attorneys noted that Morales García continues to experience distress from the ordeal. He now carries multiple forms of identification at all times to avoid similar enforcement actions in the future.
Morales García expressed his intention to resume working and providing for his family in Texas while pursuing legal accountability through his ongoing federal case to ensure that other citizens do not face similar removals.
According to The American Bazaar, the case has sparked renewed discussions in Congress about the treatment of U.S. citizens by immigration enforcement agencies.