Mexican 'Influencer' Arrest in US Reflects Growing Deportation of 'Dreamers'

The arrest of Mexican 'influencer' Karla Toledo in Arizona highlights a concerning increase in the deportation of 'dreamers', young immigrants who arrived in the United States as children and received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Toledo, who came to the U.S. at the age of one, is facing a potential deportation hearing despite her DACA status.

"Without a doubt, we DACA recipients are in ICE's sights. I fear we are a new target to increase their deportation figures," Toledo stated in an interview with EFE. Her detention on May 18 in Tucson and subsequent placement in a detention center have sparked outrage among the Latino community in Arizona.

Activists have protested the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, releasing images of them entering Toledo's home violently. Toledo claims her civil rights were violated, asserting that agents entered her home without an arrest warrant and detained her despite her DACA status. She stated, "It's a lie, I never attacked any agent, I did yell at them, but I think anyone would have reacted the same if they saw ICE agents entering your home without presenting a legal order."

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Without a doubt, we DACA recipients are in ICE's sights. I fear we are a new target to increase their deportation figures.

ICE, however, accused Toledo of assaulting an agent and entering the U.S. irregularly on October 12, 2024, claiming officers were searching for someone else. Toledo countered that she left the country in 2024 to visit her father's grave in Sonora, bordering Arizona, and asserted she had a permit.

Since the Trump administration's second term, figures from the Department of Homeland Security show at least 261 DACA recipients have been arrested and 86 deported by ICE between January 1 and November 19, 2025. The DACA program is currently closed to new applicants, and existing beneficiaries must renew their status every two years.

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It's a lie, I never attacked any agent, I did yell at them, but I think anyone would have reacted the same if they saw ICE agents entering your home without presenting a legal order.