DACA recipient arrested in Idaho on felony child sexual battery charge
A man with DACA status was taken into custody in Meridian, Idaho, after being charged with felony child sexual battery involving a 16- or 17-year-old.
Meridian police arrested Jose Alberto Moreno Cortes, a 32-year-old DACA recipient, on felony child sexual battery charges after accusing him of assaulting a 16- or 17-year-old. The indictment alleges Cortes communicated with the minor via text and later met the teen to commit the alleged crime. The suspect, who was granted DACA status by the Obama administration in November 2013, has prior convictions for failure to purchase.
A Department of Homeland Security official emphasized that DACA does not provide legal status or shield holders from deportation if they break the law. From early 2025 to mid-2026, nearly 90 % of DACA recipients detained by ICE faced criminal charges or convictions. Cortes remains in custody at the Ada County Sheriff’s Office with bail set at $1 million. The case w.
Why it matters
The case highlights that DACA does not protect recipients from criminal prosecution or possible removal.
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