An immigrant father is facing deportation from the United States after mistakenly crossing into Mexico while driving on a California highway.
Eric Hernandez came to the U.S. from El Salvador at 14 and was protected under DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. However, he lost that protection on June 1 when he left the country without authorization. This incident occurred while he was driving for a ride-sharing service near the border of Los Angeles.
“When that happened, he basically lost everything,” remarked Valerie Shigamani, his attorney, describing how quickly he was detained and had deportation proceedings initiated. “He doesn’t have DACA anymore,” she noted.
Upon realizing his error, Hernandez went back to the U.S., expressing, “This was a mistake. It was an accident. I wasn’t trying to leave the U.S.,” according to his lawyer.
At the time of his detention, Hernandez was working on securing legal status, especially after marrying his wife, Nancy Rivera, a U.S. citizen, late last year. They are also expecting a second child.
Unfortunately, Hernandez’s eligibility for DACA is now nullified because participants in the program must get prior permission before departing the U.S.
“I’m just worried,” said his pregnant wife. “If he’s deported, I worry about how he’ll manage everything on his own.”
“That’s a lot of the stress and anxiety I have,” she added. “He was my main source of support. It feels like everything has changed.”
Currently, Hernandez is detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. His deportation status remains unclear.
“He’s scared to go back to El Salvador,” his lawyer explained. “He hasn’t been there since he was a child and has no idea what life is like there now.”
