DHS appeals after Santa Ana father of three Marines beats deportation
An immigration judge dismissed the deportation case against a Santa Ana landscaper whose arrest outside an IHOP went viral, but the Department of Homeland Security says it is appealing.
An immigration judge dismissed the deportation case against a Santa Ana landscaper whose arrest outside an IHOP went viral, but the Department of Homeland Security says it is appealing.
A Santa Ana landscaper and father of three U.S. Marines has won a round in his immigration fight: a judge dismissed his deportation case, Juice Unlocked reported on Feb. 17, 2026.
The win may not be final. The Department of Homeland Security says it is appealing the judge's decision and that the case is not over.
The arrest that went viral
He was taken into custody in 2025 in an arrest outside an IHOP that spread widely online. Juice Unlocked's post paired a still from that footage, showing several men in tactical vests around a man on the pavement beside a pickup truck, with a family photo of an older man standing with three young men, one in a Marine dress uniform.
His family has said the moment was misrepresented.
What each side wants
His lawyer is now pushing for him to get permanent legal status. DHS, for its part, says the case isn't over and is appealing the dismissal.
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