U.S. citizen student's mother deported, leaving teen to support household alone
Aug 5, 2025·Location: Atlantic County, NJ
Country of origin: Mexico
Allison Garcia, a 17-year-old U.S. citizen honors student, was left to manage her family's mortgage and finances alone after her mother Patricia Balbuena Soto was arrested by local police on a domestic dispute warrant in July 2025 and subsequently deported to Mexico by ICE in August. Garcia missed 21 school days, dropped two AP classes, and saw her 4.8 GPA decline to 3.5 while working extra shifts to cover household expenses. Her $10,000 college fund was depleted by her mother's legal defense costs.
Sources
- Mother of 3 in US for 30 years deported by ICE
Newsweek·Oct 1, 2025·archived copy
- 'They took my mom': N.J. students missing school at alarming rates amid ICE fears
Yahoo News·May 12, 2026·archived copy
- Mother Deported ICE Patricia Balbuena Soto: A Heart-Wrenching
anddiligence.co.uk·Feb 12, 2026·archived copy
- Reportaje especial: Sueños deportados
americanonewspaper.com·May 14, 2026·archived copy
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