Share and Follow
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In a recent decision, an immigration judge has terminated the deportation proceedings against a landscaper who was apprehended in Southern California last year. This development opens the door for the father of three U.S. Marines to pursue legal permanent residency in the United States.
Narciso Barranco was detained in June, having entered the U.S. from Mexico during the 1990s without legal documentation. His arrest garnered significant attention amid heightened scrutiny and protests over the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies.
Eyewitnesses captured video footage of Barranco’s arrest in Santa Ana, located in Orange County. Federal agents were seen wrestling with him and restraining him on the ground near an IHOP restaurant, where he had been working on landscaping tasks.
Following his arrest, Barranco was taken to a Los Angeles detention facility and subjected to deportation proceedings. He was released in July on a $3,000 bond and required to wear an ankle monitor.
On January 28, Judge Kristin S. Piepmeier issued an order dismissing the deportation case. She noted that the 49-year-old Barranco had substantiated his claim of being the father of three U.S.-born sons serving in the military, thereby qualifying him to apply for legal status.
“I feel happy,” Barranco said in a phone interview in Spanish. “Thank God I don’t have that weight on top of me.”
Barranco said he is still staying mostly at home and not taking any chances going out until his legal paperwork has been finalized.
The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that it would appeal the judge’s decision, which was first reported by the New York Times.
Barranco’s lawyer Lisa Ramirez said her client feels “extreme relief” now that immigration officers have removed his ankle monitor and discontinued his check-ins.
“The aggressive nature of the apprehension, it was traumatic,” Ramirez said Thursday. “Mr. Barranco has had zero criminal history. They came after him because he was a brown gardener in the streets of Santa Ana.”
Ramirez said Barranco has applied for Parole in Place, a program that protects the parents of U.S. military personnel from deportation and helps them obtain permanent residency. If that petition is approved, Barranco will receive a work permit. She estimated the process could take six months or more.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reiterated previous government claims that Barranco refused to comply with commands and swung his weed trimmer at an agent.
“The agents took appropriate action and followed their training to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that prioritizes the safety of the public and our officers,” McLaughlin said in Thursday’s statement.
Alejandro left the Marine Corps in 2023. His two brothers are currently active-duty Marines.
___