José Contreras Díaz, a 30-year-old DACA recipient raised in Edinburg, Texas, was arrested by ICE agents during a routine check-in appointment in January 2026 and deported to Honduras despite holding valid DACA status. He missed the birth of his son, Mateo, while separated from his family. His attorney, Stacy Tolchin, argued the deportation was unlawful, citing a federal judge's ruling in a similar DACA case, and immigration officials agreed to facilitate his return. When he landed at Harlingen Airport on April 29, 2026, agents detained him again at the Port Isabel Detention Center rather than releasing him. He was released on May 7-8, 2026, after more than three months of separation from his family, and reunited with his wife and newborn son. Contreras said, "They detained me, sent me to a country I barely remember, and then gave me hope — the hope that I could come home, see my family, and hold my son again. Then that hope was taken away." DHS has stated it still intends to deport him, arguing DACA does not confer legal status, and he continues to face removal proceedings.