California Man Wrongfully Deported at Border Speaks Out

A California man with legal authorization to be in the U.S. is speaking out after being unexpectedly detained and deported while returning home through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

David Valdez, who has lived in Southern California for decades, holds protection from deportation while awaiting his green card application, which was petitioned by his U.S. citizen son. With this authorization, he was also granted permission to work and travel. However, when he returned from a short trip to Mexico in early March, he was detained for 10 hours before being deported—without a hearing.

"It’s unfair," Valdez said. "They know what they’re doing and they still commit these injustices. Now they’re emboldened and want to deport or deny entry to as many people as possible."

His immigration attorney, Noemi Ramirez, was already handling his residency case when she was alerted to his sudden deportation. She stated that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) classified him as an aggravated felon, despite him having no criminal convictions. Valdez was subsequently sent to a shelter in Tijuana.

“CBP and ICE are not very transparent, so we don’t really know why he was being charged,” Ramirez explained. She contacted supervisors at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, who reviewed the case and allowed Valdez back into the U.S. two days later.

However, the ordeal has left lingering concerns. “I’m not sure if it’s an error. I’m not sure if it’s an abuse of power. They never gave us an explanation of why all this came up,” Ramirez said.

Since the incident, her office has been receiving increased inquiries from concerned residents and visa holders who previously had no reason to fear crossing the border. “It could happen to anybody,” she warned, adding that legal residents and visa holders alike could be affected by similar cases of detention without explanation.

For more updates on immigration policies and border issues, visit NBCPalmSprings.com.

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