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Moorpark family of three deported after asylum denial at ICE office

Mar 23, 2026·Location: Camarillo, CA

Country of origin: Mexico

Moorpark family of three deported after asylum denial at ICE office
Photo via bluewaterhealthyliving.com

Alicia Luna Flores, her husband Juan Alberto Baquera Santoyo, and their 12-year-old daughter Melanie were deported to Mexico on March 23 after arriving at an ICE office in Camarillo expecting to have their ankle monitors removed. Luna, who had worked as a house cleaner, and Baquera, who worked as a day laborer, had crossed the border eight years earlier and applied for asylum with their then 5-year-old daughter. Melanie attended Mesa Verde Middle School in Moorpark and dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. The family was given no specific reason for the deportation except a reference to a missed court date that Luna said she was unaware of, and they were transported to Tijuana within 24 hours before eventually relocating to Mexico, leaving behind their 3-year-old U.S.-born son Aaron, who was not taken into custody, in the care of relatives. Moorpark Unified School District officials confirmed the deportation and said they have been in contact with the family, providing support and connecting them with local agencies for immediate needs like food; Superintendent Kelli Hays said the district will continue supporting the relatives now caring for the three-year-old.

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