DHS: DACA Recipient 'Self-Deported' With Wrong Turn

(Dreamstime)

By    |   Friday, 25 July 2025 03:12 PM EDT ET

A 34-year-old California resident is being detained in preparation for deportation by the Department of Homeland Security after he said he just made a wrong turn.

Eric Hernandez Rodriguez does not have legal status to be in America, though he has lived in the U.S. for 20 years. He'd most recently been working as a ride-share driver. In early June, he was driving two clients from Los Angeles to the border at San Diego.

Rodriguez claimed he made a wrong turn and drove into Mexico. When he tried to reenter the U.S., Customs and Border Protection agents arrested him. An attorney representing Rodriguez told NBC San Diego that agents wanted cash to let him back in, and since he could not pay the requested $800, he was arrested and detained.

DHS told Newsmax in a statement that it was investigating the payoff claim. But since Rodriguez, "an illegal alien," had left the U.S., he had "self-deported and then tried to illegally re-enter the U.S."

His attorney has claimed he is a DACA recipient and therefore has legal standing in the U.S. as a legal immigrant and should be released.

DHS said that's not accurate. "DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country. Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation."

The DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, program was established in 2012 during the Obama administration to provide temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to eligible undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. It is not, however, considered an avenue to citizenship or legal status.

The DHS statement on the Rodriguez events warns illegal aliens to follow its guidelines.

"Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."

Jim Mishler

Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.

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A 34-year-old California resident is being detained in preparation for deportation by the Department of Homeland Security after he said he just made a wrong turn.
daca, ride-share driver, california, immigration, dhs, eric hernandez rodriguez
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2025-12-25
Friday, 25 July 2025 03:12 PM
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