Honduran mechanic deported despite legal status, judge orders his return
Mar 18, 2026 · Montana, MT, Honduras

Jose Eliezer Martinez-Andino, a 20-year-old mechanic living in Raleigh, North Carolina, and father to a U.S.-citizen daughter, was stopped by Border Patrol agents in Montana in March 2026 while riding in a car with a forged license plate. He had entered the U.S. in 2020 as an unaccompanied minor and held Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, deferred action, and a work permit, with his removal proceedings previously dismissed by a judge. Despite this status, he was pressured into signing a voluntary-departure form, moved between at least six detention centers, denied contact with his attorneys for more than ten days, and deported to Honduras in April after his attempts to revoke the agreement were allegedly ignored. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found the removal was carried out "in a manner that boggles the mind" without due process and ordered the government to facilitate his return along with his daughter. He was flown to Harlingen, Texas in August but remained in CBP custody as DHS filed a new removal case against him.
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