FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 8, 2026
Media Contacts
press@unitedwedream.org
DHS has detained over 340 DACA recipients and deported at least 90 since the start of 2025.
Washington, D.C. – Following the release of DACA recipient Jose Contreras Diaz – who was wrongfully deported and then detained upon returning to the United States – a DACA applicant, Lisandro Pantaleon Pacheco, is now facing detention just days before graduation. The two cases underscore the growing and deliberate attacks against immigrant youth and the escalating threats aimed at weakening the DACA program piece by piece.
The Home is Here Campaign released the following statement:
“While we are relieved that Jose Contreras Diaz is finally home and with his loved ones, the federal government’s response to his release should alarm us all. White House officials, including Tom Homan and a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, made clear that they still intend to target Jose for deportation, pointing to a growing rejection by the administration to uphold DACA’s protections.
Just this week, Lisandro Pantaleon Pacheco – a DACA applicant – was detained days before graduation. Without question, these incidents are part of the broader efforts to chip away at the DACA program and continue to leave those who are otherwise eligible from obtaining DACA. Already, hundreds of DACA recipients and immigrant youth have been detained and deported since the start of 2025.
No one should not have to live under constant uncertainty, wondering whether they will be able to remain in the country they call home or stay with their families. Congress must act to provide a pathway to citizenship and pass the DREAM Act once and for all.”
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The Home Is Here national coalition is fighting to protect DACA recipients, their families, and all immigrant communities at the U.S. Supreme Court. DACA recipients are undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. They are also our nurses, our teachers, our coworkers, our family members, and our friends — and their home is here. For more information visit HomeIsHere.Us