MARYLAND — Mark, a 17-year-old from Maryland, participated in his commencement ceremony at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on May 28, 2026. This event occurred days after his father, Marco, was deported to El Salvador following a three-month detention.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Marco in Maryland just before Christmas while he was purchasing construction supplies at a Home Depot. Marco was initially detained at a federal building in Baltimore before being transferred to a detention center in Mississippi within one week. An immigration judge ordered Marco's removal from the United States, and he was deported to El Salvador in March.
Rosie, Mark's mother, said, "The judge denied the case even though documentation was presented that Marco had been here for 37 years." Marco had resided in the United States for 37 years and was effectively undocumented. Marco's attorney advised that he could qualify for residency through a humanitarian relief program for Central Americans who entered the United States before 1990. Marco currently resides in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Marco watched the graduation ceremony via livestream. "I was very happy. A little sad that I couldn't be present," Marco said. After the ceremony, Mark and his mother video-called Marco from an Italian restaurant in Baltimore.
During his senior year, Mark skipped classes and withdrew from an advanced placement course. "For a lot of this semester, I just didn't want to go to school," Mark said. He noted that his father lost 30 pounds during his detention. "My dad had always wanted to lose some weight, but not like this," Mark said. Marco previously owned a contracting business in Maryland, and his income covered the family's rent, utilities, and groceries. Mark and his mother depleted their savings after Marco's arrest.
Mark graduated from Seneca Valley High School, where he had enrolled in advanced placement classes. Marco wrote a letter to Mark before his deportation. "You can do small jobs by yourself and the pay range is from 100 to 200 dollars in a few hours installing lights, switches, replacing plugs," Marco wrote. Rosie said, "Separation in that way breaks our hearts. We are suffering in every aspect." Mark and his 35-year-old sister are United States citizens.