DACA Recipient Arrested in Texas Amid Trump's Immigration Policy Shift

Tue Nov 25 2025 22:33:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Yaakub Vijandre, a DACA recipient and pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested by federal agents at his Texas home, highlighting a worrying trend in the treatment of immigrants under the Trump administration.

Yaakub Vijandre, a DACA recipient, was arrested in Texas as part of a concerning increase in detentions of DACA recipients. His arrest signifies broader changes in U.S. immigration policy under the Trump administration, which is intensifying scrutiny on immigrants, including social media monitoring. Concerns are raised about the legality of such detentions, particularly the lack of warnings typically afforded to DACA recipients prior to detainment.

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Yaakub Vijandre was preparing for work as a mechanic when he was confronted by federal agents outside his home in the Dallas area. Without warning, he was taken into custody as part of a disturbing escalation of immigration enforcement policies targeting DACA recipients.

Vijandre is one of the hundreds of thousands protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which safeguards individuals brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and allows them to work legally. However, the Trump administration's approach to immigration has increasingly focused on social media monitoring and scrutiny, particularly concerning individuals engaged in activism.

According to Vijandre's lawyers, his arrest stems from his social media presence as a freelance videographer and pro-Palestinian activist. This shift in policy marks a significant change in how the U.S. government interacts with DACA recipients—a population that previously received more lenient oversight regarding their immigration status.

DACA's establishment in 2012 was intended to provide stability to young immigrants, commonly referred to as 'Dreamers,' but as the current administration pushes for harsher restrictions and implementations, many recipients are finding themselves under unprecedented threat of deportation.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin remarked that individuals claiming DACA protection are not guaranteed immunity from deportation, further complicating the landscape for these individuals. DACA is particularly precarious, as recipients can lose their status based on various grounds, including accusations of criminal activity, which can result in detainment without prior warning.

Vijandre's attorney has flagged concerns about the legality of his detention without being given a fair opportunity to contest the intent to rescind his DACA status. Additionally, Vijandre joins a growing list of DACA recipients whose arrests signal an alarming trend of increasing vulnerability for those protected under immigration policies that are constantly evolving under the current administration.