Judge Ends Deportation Case for Mexican Father of 3 U.S. Marines

Narciso Barranco, who was detained by federal agents while landscaping, is now eligible to seek legal permanent residency.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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An immigration judge has terminated the deportation case against Narciso Barranco, an undocumented Mexican father of three U.S. Marines who was detained by federal agents last year while landscaping in Southern California. The judge's order paves the way for Barranco to seek legal permanent residency in the United States.

Why it matters

The arrest of Barranco, who has lived in the U.S. for three decades and has no criminal record, sparked national attention and became a symbol of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The case highlights the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants with U.S. citizen family members.

The details

Last June, Barranco was clearing weeds outside an IHOP restaurant in Santa Ana, California, when immigration agents approached him, pinned him to the ground, and handcuffed him. The Department of Homeland Security defended the agents' actions, claiming Barranco had raised his weed trimmer at them. Barranco was then transferred to a detention center and placed in deportation proceedings, before being released on bond and fitted with an ankle monitor.

  • In June 2025, Barranco was arrested by immigration agents while landscaping outside an IHOP in Southern California.
  • In mid-July 2025, Barranco was released on a $3,000 bond and fitted with an ankle monitor.
  • On January 28, 2026, an immigration judge terminated Barranco's deportation case.

The players

Narciso Barranco

A 49-year-old undocumented Mexican national who has lived in the United States for three decades and is the father of three U.S. Marine sons.

Department of Homeland Security

The federal agency that defended the actions of the immigration agents who arrested Barranco, claiming he had raised his weed trimmer at them.

Judge Kristin S. Piepmeier

The immigration judge who terminated Barranco's deportation case, ruling that he was eligible to seek legal permanent residency as the father of three U.S. citizen Marines.

Lisa Ramirez

Barranco's lawyer, who has helped him apply for Parole in Place, a program that shields undocumented parents of U.S. military personnel from deportation and provides them an expedited pathway to permanent residency.

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What they’re saying

“I think the American people would agree that no one like Narciso Barranco, who raised three U.S. citizen Marines and has no criminal record deserved the treatment he received.”

— Lisa Ramirez, Barranco's lawyer (The New York Times)

“This was a victory, and I am happy for it. But I am still afraid that I could be grabbed.”

— Narciso Barranco (The New York Times)

What’s next

Once Barranco's Parole in Place petition is approved, he will receive a work permit and be on the path to obtaining legal permanent residency in the United States.

The takeaway

The termination of Barranco's deportation case highlights the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants with U.S. citizen family members, and the importance of programs like Parole in Place that provide a pathway to legal status for those with strong family ties.