Undocumented father faced deportation nightmare but walks free after a judge sees his three sons

An immigration judge has finally terminated the deportation case against Narciso Barranco, an undocumented father whose three sons serve as U.S. Marines. This ruling is a huge victory and clears the path for Barranco to seek legal permanent residency in the United States.

The 49-year-old Mexican national has lived here for three decades, but his life was thrown into chaos last June. Barranco was working as a landscaper, clearing weeds outside an IHOP restaurant in Santa Ana, California, when federal agents approached him. According to the New York Times, the agents aggressively pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him before transferring him to a detention center and placing him in deportation proceedings. 

He was eventually released on a $3,000 bond in mid-July, but he was forced to wear an ankle monitor during the legal process. What’s truly unbelievable is how the Department of Homeland Security defended the agents’ actions at the time. They claimed the agents felt threatened by Barranco, even accusing him of raising his weed trimmer at them. His story caught national attention and became a symbol of President Trump’s immigration crackdown

Yep. It is now a crime to do your job

Thankfully, the legal system recognized his unique situation. Judge Kristin S. Piepmeier signed an order on January 28 terminating the case. Her reasoning was straightforward: Barranco provided clear evidence that he is the father of three American citizens currently serving in the military. This fact makes him eligible to obtain lawful status.

Barranco has seen immediate relief. Immigration officers have removed his ankle monitor, and his mandatory check-ins have been discontinued. Now, his lawyer, Lisa Ramirez, is working hard to secure his long-term future. She has helped him apply for Parole in Place, a program that shields the undocumented parents of U.S. military personnel from deportation and provides them with a work permit and an expedited pathway to permanent residency.

Ramirez was clearly thrilled with the judge’s decision. “I think the American people would agree that no one like Narciso Barranco, who raised three U.S. citizen Marines and has no criminal record deserved the treatment he received,” she said shortly after the ruling was announced. 

Despite the monumental victory, Barranco isn’t feeling completely safe yet. He told reporters that he has been limiting his outings strictly to attending Sunday Mass, preferring to stay home. “This was a victory, and I am happy for it,“ Barranco told reporters. “But I am still afraid that I could be grabbed.” Barranco’s story is a spot of hope for immigrants, as we see a larger number of negative stories like the deportation proceedings of Liam Ramos and the deportation of a military veteran.