A Texas man who was deported to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities after a traffic stop, despite insisting he was an American citizen, has returned to the United States after federal officials agreed to allow his reentry while his case proceeds in court.

Brian José Morales García, 25, crossed back into the U.S. on Sunday after the federal government reached an agreement with his attorneys following the submission of additional evidence supporting his claim that he was born in Denver, Colorado.

Morales’ attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, told Newsweek she and co-counsel Dicky Grigg met him in Laredo on August 30 after the government offered an agreement allowing Brian to enter the United States while his case continues.

Lincoln-Goldfinch said: “Brian is happy to be home, but the experience has been deeply disruptive to his life. He has missed work, where he supports his family, and the experience has understandably left him concerned about the possibility of another encounter with law enforcement. His immediate focus is reconnecting with his family, and getting back to work and his life in Texas.” Morales was deported in April after being detained following a traffic stop near Fredericksburg, Texas. At the time, he said he repeatedly told authorities that he was a U.S. citizen and that documents proving his citizenship, including a birth certificate and Social Security information, were available at his home in Austin.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agreed to allow Morales to enter the United States if he presented his birth certificate and photo identification at a port of entry at a specified date and time, according to a joint court filing reviewed by Newsweek. Morales was admitted on August 30, the filing said.

…

Under the Trump administration’s sweeping deportation program, several U.S. citizens have been caught up in immigration enforcement operations, leading to arrests, detentions and legal challenges. Civil rights advocates and immigration attorneys have raised concerns about alleged racial profiling and excessive use of force during some enforcement actions, while federal officials have maintained that officers follow established procedures when carrying out immigration arrests.

…

The lawsuit challenging Morales García’s detention and deportation remains pending in federal court in Morales Garcia v. Mullin et al., No. 1:26-cv-01155-RP, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

A Government Accountability Office report found that immigration authorities arrested hundreds of individuals identified as potential U.S. citizens between 2015 and 2020 and removed 70 from the country.

Meanwhile, more than 170 U.S. citizens were detained by immigration authorities during the first nine months of President Donald Trump’s second administration, ProPublica reported.