ICE SEEKS TO DEPORT DACA RECIPIENT AFTER EL PASO AIRPORT ARREST; JUDGE HALTS TRANSFER

A DACA recipient and immigrant-rights activist, Catalina “Xochitl” Santiago, was detained at El Paso International Airport after Border Patrol questioned her despite valid work authorization. ICE is pursuing deportation while keeping her in the El Paso Service Processing Center, prompting protests in multiple cities. An immigration judge ruled she cannot be deported due to her DACA status, but ICE plans to appeal; a federal judge scheduled a Sept. 23 hearing and barred her transfer out of El Paso. The case highlights expanding airport/border enforcement within the 100-mile zone and mounting legal challenges around detaining DACA holders.