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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

U.S. citizen deported to Mexico after traffic stop, returns home nearly five months later
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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

Aug 30, 2026—Department of Justice allowed him to return to Austin; picked up by lawyer in Laredo
Aug 1, 2026—Attorneys filed federal lawsuit alleging coercion and racial profiling, submitting citizenship evidence
Apr 7, 2026—Deported to Mexico after being held for several days by local sheriff's office and Border Patrol
Apr 3, 2026—Stopped by Texas state trooper near Fredericksburg for window-tint violation while riding in employer's truck
Apr 1, 2026—Spent nearly five months living with relatives in Mexico, separated from pregnant wife and newborn daughter
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