U.S. citizen deported to Mexico after traffic stop, returns home nearly five months later
Sep 28, 2026·Location: Fredericksburg, TX
Country of origin: Mexico

Brian José Morales García, a 25-year-old HVAC worker from Austin born in Denver, Colorado, was riding in his employer's truck near Fredericksburg, Texas, on April 3, 2026, when a state trooper stopped them for an alleged window-tint violation. He repeatedly told officers he was a citizen and offered his birth certificate, Social Security card, and baptismal record, but said they refused to accept them; he was held by the Gillespie County Sheriff's Office before Border Patrol took custody. He said agents mocked his citizenship claim and pressured him into signing paperwork admitting illegal entry, which he did only to avoid prolonged detention and reunite with his pregnant wife in Mexico. He was deported four to five days after the stop, missing the birth of his daughter and spending nearly five months with relatives in Mexico. His attorneys, including Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, filed a federal lawsuit alleging coercion and racial profiling, submitting his Colorado birth certificate, hospital records, baptismal certificate, and witness affidavits, while DHS disputed his citizenship claim. A federal judge called the case 'highly unusual' and ordered discovery; the Department of Justice agreed to let him return to Austin on August 30, 2026, with his lawyer picking him up in Laredo. His civil rights lawsuit continues, and he said his fear of being wrongfully targeted again will stay with him.
Timeline
Sources
- Who is Brian Morales? Man deported after traffic stop says he's US citizen
Newsweek·Apr 11, 2026·archived copy
- New York Times
- His mistaken deportation was thought to be unique. But 'the problem is getting worse'
NPR·Feb 3, 2026·archived copy
- Texas man deported to Mexico by ICE returns after producing birth record
Newsweek·Sep 1, 2026
- Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever
The Guardian·Sep 28, 2026
- US citizen deported to Mexico allowed home after nearly 5 months
USA Today·Sep 6, 2026
- DHS deported a US citizen to Mexico after threatening him with prison time: report
independent.co.uk·Apr 10, 2026·archived copy
- CourtListener
- Austin man deported to Mexico continues fight over U.S. citizenship claim
statesman.com·Jun 4, 2026·archived copy
- ICE deported man to Mexico who says he’s a U.S. citizen
Texas Tribune·Apr 23, 2026·archived copy
- He says he was born in Denver. After a traffic stop, ICE deported him to Mexico.
statesman.com·Apr 25, 2026·archived copy
- Feds allow return of U.S. citizen deported after traffic stop in Central Texas
Texas Tribune·Aug 30, 2026
- Texas man’s deportation raises questions about ICE partnerships
Texas Tribune·Sep 2, 2026
- US citizen deported to Mexico returns to Texas as lawmakers seek to curb ICE detention
americanbazaaronline.com·Sep 1, 2026
- Austin man’s wrongful deportation casts scrutiny on Texas’ embrace of ICE partnerships
hppr.org·Sep 3, 2026
- US Citizen Deported to Mexico Finally Returns Home After Nearly Five Months in Immigration Nightmare
ibtimes.co.uk·Sep 7, 2026
- Deported U.S. citizen Brian Morales returns to Texas
news4sanantonio.com·Sep 8, 2026
- More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
projects.propublica.org·Oct 6, 2026
- ICE Deported a US Citizen. He Was Born in Denver. He Had the Documents to Prove It. - Powers Law Group, P.C.
rubypowerslaw.com·Apr 29, 2026
- ICE deported Brian Morales Garcia, who says he is a U.S. citizen, to Mexico after a Texas traffic stop
standingrecord.com·Jul 16, 2026
- counterpunch.org
- In the News – Deported Man Says He’s a US Citizen – AILA Texas
ailatexas.org·May 1, 2026
- newswest9.com
- Federal judge weighs citizenship of Austin man deported to Mexico after traffic stop
aol.com·May 6, 2026
- oaoa.com
- ICE deported man who says he’s a U.S. citizen after traffic stop in Central Texas
click2houston.com·Apr 23, 2026
newsfromthestates.com·Apr 23, 2026
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