Honduran man with SIJS deported, returned by court order, still detained in Texas
Aug 5, 2026·Location: Harlingen, TX
Country of origin: Honduras

José Eliezer Martínez-Andino, a 20-year-old Honduran man who crossed into the U.S. alone at 14 in 2020, was deported to Honduras in April 2026 after being stopped by Border Patrol in Montana over an alleged forged license plate, despite holding Special Immigrant Juvenile Status granted in 2023. He said he signed a voluntary departure form out of fear during detention but repeatedly tried to rescind it while being moved among at least six facilities, a claim DHS disputes, saying he received full due process. He had been living in Raleigh with relatives and is the father of a three-year-old U.S.-born child. In June 2026, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered DHS to return him and restore his legal status; he came back on August 5, 2026, but was sent to a detention facility in Harlingen, Texas, where he remains held awaiting relief.
Sources
- Deported Raleigh resident returns to the U.S. and is currently detained in Texas
WUNC·Aug 8, 2026·archived copy
- Judge orders DHS to return deported Raleigh resident with a special legal status back to the U.S.
bpr.org·Jun 24, 2026·archived copy
- Rare Court Win Forces U.S. to Bring Back Deported SIJS Holder
ctninfo.com·Aug 23, 2026
- Federal judge says Raleigh resident’s deportation ‘boggles the mind,’ orders return
The News & Observer·Jun 25, 2026
- A Honduran Man Was Deported By Mistake. A Judge Brought Him Back to the U.S. — But He Landed Straight in Jail
latintimes.com·Aug 22, 2026
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