Two Brothers Who Came to US as Children Deported

Two brothers who have spent half their lives in the United States were deported years after fleeing violence in their native El Salvador.

Why It Matters

One of President Donald Trump's biggest 2024 campaign issues was to curb illegal immigration and shore up the United States' borders. The method in which his administration has enforced that, including raids by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, has sparked vigorous debate. Newer efforts include ending automatic birthright citizenship, which is going through legal channels.

A case that gained widespread attention involved U.S. citizen Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador after the Trump administration alleged that he had ties to the MS-13 gang.

What To Know

On May 7, brothers Jose and Josue Trejo Lopez, both of Central Islip, New York, were deported to El Salvador. They were initially detained in March following a routine immigration check-in at a state field office, according to local reports citing their attorney, Ala Amoachi.

"My clients are in crisis—stranded in a country they barely know, without identification, family or a place to call home," Amoachi told Newsweek. "A motion to reopen their case is pending, and while the outcome remains uncertain, there is still a meaningful opportunity for the court to intervene.

"Sharing their story is a vital step toward holding our immigration system accountable and advocating for change."

The brothers were detained during a routine check-in in March, held in federal detention centers and deported on May 7, shortly before Josue's scheduled high school graduation.

The pair came to the United States in 2016, when they were 10 and 11 years old. Amoachi said their mother brought them to the U.S. to escape gang violence in El Salvador, notably from MS-13.

Amoachi said the brothers, who were deported while having open applications for special immigration protections, were apprehended entering illegally at the southern border at the time. After initially being placed in removal proceedings, they were released into the U.S.

Two years later, according to Amoachi, an immigration judge denied the brothers' asylum case. That was when they started the appeal process and began regular check-ins.

They lived with their mother and younger brother in Georgia prior to moving to Central Islip last year to live with their stepfather.

During a Zoom conversation with reporters, the Lopez brothers expressed angst about their ongoing situation and pleaded for help.

"I asked they have another opportunity to return to this country because they are good people," Alma Lopez, the boys' mother, told FOX 5 NY.

What People Are Saying

Attorney Ala Amoachi, in a statement to News 12 Long Island: "Josue and Jose are kind young men who have lived in the United States since they were just 10 and 11 years old. They have no criminal history, and America is the only home they truly know.

"Despite having pending Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions—and a Family Court judge's determination that returning them to El Salvador was not in their best interest—our government subjected them to inhumane treatment and abruptly deported them. It was not only unjust, it was heartbreaking. I will continue to fight for them, and for the values of compassion and justice that this country should stand for."

Jose Lopez, on Zoom: "I called my mom around 5:30, and I tell her, 'We're going to be deported. The plane is outside. They're going to put shackles on us, and I'm letting you know it's happening.'"

Josue Lopez, on Zoom: "I don't know nobody, I don't go out, I'm always just sitting, sad because I wanna be with my little brother, I wanna be with my mom."

What Happens Next

A GoFundMe aiming to raise $50,000 for the Lopez brothers' case had raised more than $26,300 as of May 16. A Change.org petition was also set up on May 7.

Updated 5/19/25, 5:26 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Ala Amoachi.