A California mother who accused an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractor of sexual harassment was reportedly deported to Mexico last week despite a court granting her an emergency reprieve, according to her lawyers.
Silvia Reyna Mendoza, a longtime Sacramento resident and U.S. citizen mother of eight children, was sent to Mexico early Friday morning, KCRA 3 reported.
A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said this Newsweek in a statement, among other things, that Mendoza had a criminal past that included “theft, driving without a license and driving under the influence.”
Her lawyers told the outlet that she received temporary emergency housing later that same day, but that the deportation had already taken place.
This was announced by a spokesman for the contractor Newsweek that it “takes all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment with the utmost seriousness.”
Newsweek emailed the woman's lawyer for comment.
Why it matters
ICE has come under the spotlight as the Trump administration pushes to deport millions of migrants without legal status. The agency faces dozens of allegations of misconduct as well as ongoing legal challenges.
What you should know
According to KCRA 3, Reyna Mendoza's family has filed a lawsuit claiming she faced retaliation for reporting that a contractor working for ICE's surveillance program sent her sexually explicit messages and requests for sexual favors.
The family also claims that there was no follow-up when the allegations were reported and that attempts were made to purportedly delete evidence.
According to Reyna Mendoza, the civil lawsuit is against ICE contractor BI Incorporated and two of its employees The Sacramento Bee.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding such matters and take steps to ensure a thorough investigation of all related complaints. BI stands committed to our provision of quality support services to the Department of Homeland Security in accordance with all established federal standards,” a BI spokesperson said Newsweek.
Accordingly The Sacramento BeeThe complaint alleges that the contractor, “who had access to (Reyna's) cell phone number, engaged in unwelcome sexual harassment against Plaintiff by, among other things, calling her on her phone, video calling her, texting pictures of herself naked with an erect penis, and sending videos of herself masturbating.”
The contractor also attempted to coerce (Reyna) into sexual favors by “uttering words like, 'If you're good to me, I'll be good to you,'” the complaint states, according to the news site.
Reyna Mendoza came to the United States from Mexico as a teenager to escape domestic violence, her family told KCRA 3.
Although she has lived in the United States for nearly 40 years, she was required to check in with ICE, according to BI Incorporated The Sacramento Bee.
BI is a private company that provides electronic monitoring and surveillance services to individuals in the criminal justice and immigration systems, including GPS monitoring and ICE surveillance programs. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of GEO Group, a large private prison and detention center company.
While BI operates under the corporate umbrella of GEO, it focuses specifically on surveillance and case management rather than detention center operations.
Sacramento police are investigating the allegations, a spokesman said The Sacramento Bee.
What people say
A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said this Newsweek in a statement: “On September 11, 2025, ICE encountered Silvia Reyna-Mendoza, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico. Reyna-Mendoza has a criminal history that includes theft, driving without a license, and driving under the influence. She was also served with a final deportation order by an immigration judge.
“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, you must face the consequences when you break the law. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”
“It's obviously very suspicious because the defendants we're suing have been working very hard to cover up the sexual harassment all along.” Reyna Mendoza's attorney, Israel Ramirez, said KCRA3. “We are still investigating the matter. We want all the facts to come to light and we want the people who caused her harm to be brought to justice.”
“It's really hard when you try to tell the authorities what's going on and they dismiss it. Who do you ask for help at that point?” said the woman's son, Francisco Govea KCRA.
ICE wrote on its website: “ICE does not tolerate any form of sexual abuse and assault, retaliation for reporting sexual abuse or neglect, or breaches of duty by personnel that may contribute to such incidents. ICE takes every allegation seriously and will hold perpetrators accountable for their sexual misconduct.”
What happens next
Mendoza's family told KCRA 3 that Reyna has been communicating with her lawyers from Mexico and plans to continue attending the court proceedings remotely.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story contains a discussion of sexual abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 in the US
Update 10/28/25 4:32 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Homeland Security.