A father of three Marines who faced deportation last year is, for now, clear of federal efforts to expel him from the United States after a federal immigration judge dismissed a deportation case against him last week.
But Narciso Barranco’s legal status remains tenuous, according to his family, and he generally remains at home to avoid contact with federal agents, who could arrest him again while he pursues legal residency.
“While the family is very, very happy and pleased with the judge, we understand that this is one step in a long journey still for Mr. Barranco to travel,” Barranco’s stepson, Rigo Hernandez, told Task & Purpose. “It is always a concern of the family that, with any encounter with federal agents, Narciso could be picked up again, and add more legal obstacles in the process. That’s why the family has taken steps to make sure that he remains at home, surrounded by his family and friends.”
Barranco has three sons who have served as Marines. Two — Emanuel and José Luis Barranco — are currently on active duty, while Alejandro Barranco left the Marines in 2023.
Top Stories This Week
“He raised us to be educated, to be strong, to be helpful to this country, to serve our country, to be grateful,” Alejandro previously told Task & Purpose in June. “It’s hard. It’s really hard on us, and it’s not right.”
Barranco has lived in the U.S. since the 1990s, according to his family, and has no criminal record.
Barranco was arrested in Santa Ana, California, in June 2025. The military status of Barranco’s sons allows him to apply for Parole in Place status with the Department of Homeland Security, which protects the parents of U.S. military personnel from deportation and offers a path to permanent residency, according to Barranco’s lawyer, Lisa Ramirez.
The June arrest of Barranco by Border Patrol agents gained national attention when his three sons publicly questioned why he had been taken into custody and whether officers had used excessive force in his arrest.
Border Patrol agents arrested Barranco at his landscaping job. A video released by the Border Patrol shows agents confronting Barranco with pistols drawn while he holds a string trimmer, a power tool common to landscapers.
Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said Barranco had “wildly swung a weed whacker” at agents.
Barranco’s family pointed to a second video posted to social media that appeared to show several law enforcement officers repeatedly punching Barranco after they had tackled him to the ground.
In a Jan. 28 order terminating the deportation case, Judge Kristin S. Piepmeier said that Barranco, 49, had provided evidence that he was the father of three U.S.-born sons in the military, making him eligible to seek lawful status.
Ramirez said that if Barranco’s Parole in Place petition is approved, he will receive a work permit. She estimated the process could take six months or more.
