- Hector "Alessandro" Negrete repatriated to Guadalajara to escape the fear and instability he felt in Los Angeles, rebuilt a quieter life working remotely, hiking, playing softball and doting on his dog — but still misses his chosen family and LA routines.
- Months after leaving, he was stunned to receive a $1.8 million civil penalty from DHS for failing to comply with a 2009 deportation order, despite providing evidence he left the U.S.; he now worries about possible collection on his U.S.-sourced income.
- His case is one of more than 100,000 fines DHS says it has issued (totaling about $84 billion) — a policy now facing lawsuits and bipartisan criticism as attorneys call the penalties coercive.
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