A federal immigration judge has dismissed the deportation case against Narciso Barranco, an Orange County father of three U.S. Marines whose violent arrest outside a Santa Ana IHOP last summer drew protests and nationwide attention.
Barranco, 49, lives in Tustin and has resided in the United States for more than 30 years. Authorities placed him in removal proceedings after detaining him on June 21, 2025, while he was working as a landscaper near Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana.
Videos widely circulated on social media showed masked federal agents forcing Barranco to the ground and repeatedly striking him before placing him into an unmarked SUV. His arrest became a focal point in Southern California amid broader immigration enforcement efforts in the region.
At the time, the Department of Homeland Security alleged that Barranco assaulted agents with a weed trimmer, claiming he swung it toward an officer’s face and ran through a busy intersection.
His family challenged that version of events, saying he fled out of fear. Authorities never filed criminal charges against him.
He remained in federal custody for more than three weeks before officials released him on a $3,000 bond in mid-July. Authorities fitted him with an ankle monitor and required regular check-ins with immigration officials.
After his release, Barranco appeared outside the old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana in late July. Through his attorney and interpreter, Lisa Ramirez, he addressed supporters at a public gathering.
“On behalf of my former cellmates at Adelanto, including Emilio Martinez, Lazaro Loya, Edgar, Leonidas, and so many others, I want to say to their families: they have faith, they miss you deeply, and even in a place like that, hope is still alive,” Barranco said.
The Jan. 28 decision ends the current removal proceedings and allows Barranco to seek possible relief through federal immigration channels, according to his attorney, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.
The New York Times reported that the judge found Barranco provided evidence showing he is the father of three American sons serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, which makes him eligible to pursue lawful status. Following the ruling, officials removed his ankle monitor and ended his required check-ins, the newspaper reported.
His attorney, Lisa Ramirez of U.S. Immigration Law Group, LLP, confirmed the dismissal.
“The case has been dismissed from the court. So we will not be going back to the court,” Ramirez said. “The government has the opportunity to appeal the decision if they choose to do so, but otherwise we’re now going to be seeking remedies for him through the administrative offices of the Department of Homeland Security, through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”
Ramirez has filed a request for Barranco to receive “Parole in Place,” a federal program that permits certain undocumented immediate family members of U.S. military personnel to remain in the country and apply for work authorization and permanent residency.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security plans to appeal the ruling, maintaining its allegation that Barranco attacked a federal agent.
Barranco has no criminal record. He is married to a U.S. citizen and has three sons in the Marine Corps, including one currently on active duty. His immigration status will depend on the outcome of any appeal and the review of his Parole in Place application.