• A New Mexico teenager was detained for 10 days by Border Patrol despite being a U.S. citizen.
• Jose Hermosillo approached officers stating he entered illegally, leading to confusion about his identity.
• His family claims he has intellectual disabilities and was unable to understand the situation.

Jose Hermosillo, a 19-year-old American citizen, was detained by federal Border Patrol agents for "illegally" entering the U.S., spending 10 days in custody until a judge ordered his release. This incident occurred on April 8 in Tucson, Arizona, while Hermosillo was visiting family. According to officials, he was reportedly lost and approached Border Patrol, where he admitted to entering the country unlawfully from Mexico, which they interpreted as a declaration of being a Mexican citizen, despite his actual citizenship status, according to Indiatimes and HuffPost.

Documents show that Hermosillo was picked up around Nogales, Arizona, but he has consistently stated he had never been there prior to his detention. After spending several days in custody, his family was able to present his birth certificate and Social Security card to immigration authorities, establishing his citizenship. "He did say he was a U.S. citizen, but they didn’t believe him," said Grace Leyva, an aunt of Hermosillo's girlfriend, as reported by HuffPost and CBS News.

Additionally, Hermosillo's family disclosed that he has intellectual disabilities, which they believe impacted his ability to comprehend the situation during his detainment. "He's never been able to read and was always in special education classes in school," expressed his mother, Guadalupe. She further articulated that during his time in detention, he experienced significant distress, crying nightly and describing the facility as cold and frightening, according to CBS News.

The Department of Homeland Security has defended the actions of their agents, claiming that Hermosillo's arrest was a result of his own admissions. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated on social media that the narrative being pushed is false, specifying that Hermosillo approached agents voluntarily and made a sworn statement regarding his immigration status, according to HuffPost and Indiatimes.