Two El Paso County DACA recipients, Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago and Paulo Cesar Gamez Lira, were recently released from ICE detention following separate orders by federal judges, who ruled their detentions violated due process. Both are longtime U.S. residents protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. Their arrests sparked outrage among attorneys, activists, and community members, who criticized the Trump administration’s continued targeting of DACA recipients without legal justification.
Advocates, including Singleton Schreiber Senior Counsel, Marisa Ong, and Attorney Ellie Norton, called the releases legal victories and warned that arbitrary detentions will be challenged. Santiago, a community organizer, was held for two months after being arrested at the El Paso airport, while Gamez, a father of four, was detained in New Mexico. Their cases highlighted broader concerns about ICE’s treatment of DACA recipients and immigrants, with activists describing the arrests as racially motivated and inhumane. Both individuals had active DACA status through 2026. The cases have renewed calls for permanent legal protections, including proposed bipartisan legislation like the 2025 Dignity Act, which seeks to create a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. While DACA renewals are still being processed, new applications remain blocked, and legal challenges to the program persist
