ICE: Deported 'Fresno Father' in Profile Was Removed Five Times Before

A California news outlet that ran a sympathetic profile of a deported “Fresno father” has published a follow-up acknowledging the man did not disclose his deportation history and criminal record, after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement publicly challenged the story on X.

CalMatters reported that Luis Arreguin had been deported five times before his recent immigration arrest in Fresno County, according to federal authorities. The outlet said its original story, published Wednesday, was based in part on Arreguin’s own account, and that he “failed to disclose his criminal record and deportation history” to the news organization.

Imagine taking the word of a CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN at face value. Thats exactly what @CalMatters did. Here’s the facts:

Luis Arreguin, an illegal alien and Bulldogs gang member with a criminal history including aggravated assault with a weapon, firearms offenses, and DUI, has… https://t.co/tdDICLZBi5

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 29, 2026

What the original story said

According to the original CalMatters profile, republished by KVPR and the Long Beach Post, Arreguin, 54, had lived in the United States for 49 years and was arrested Oct. 1 by federal immigration agents on his way to work. He spent about 15 days in federal custody before being flown to Tapachula, Mexico, the outlets reported. In that story, Arreguin said he had no recent interactions with law enforcement, and the reporter’s public records search returned no recent criminal history.

What ICE says

On Thursday, ICE said in a post on X that Arreguin had been deported five times and had “a criminal history including aggravated assault with a weapon, firearms offenses, and DUI,” CalMatters reported. The Long Beach Post reported that ICE’s statement said he was most recently deported in 2005. ICE also described him in its post as a Bulldogs gang member.

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin first reported the background in a post on X, citing federal sources. Melugin wrote that he was told Arreguin had been deported in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2003 and 2005, had decades-old convictions for DUI with bodily injury and negligent discharge of a firearm, and had admitted in an interview with ICE that he last crossed the border illegally in 2005. CalMatters reported that ICE quoted Melugin’s post in its own statement 30 minutes later.

CalMatters responds

CalMatters editor in chief Kristen Go said the outlet’s reporter tried twice over six days to reach ICE’s media team and got no response before the story ran, and that court and public records searches did not turn up the history ICE described, according to CalMatters. “It wasn’t until after our story ran that ICE decided to provide the information we had requested,” Go said, according to the outlet.

CalMatters also reported that Arreguin was arrested on an assault charge in Fresno County a year ago, but a district attorney’s office spokesperson said prosecutors declined to press charges. Arreguin’s daughter told CalMatters her father was focused on describing his ordeal and did not intend to hide his history. KVPR added an editor’s note to its version of the story citing ICE’s statement.

Why it matters

The episode highlights a recurring problem in immigration coverage: profiles built on a deportee’s own account can leave out facts that change the story. Under federal law, reentering the country after deportation is a felony, and ICE says Arreguin had been removed and returned repeatedly. The Trump administration has argued that its enforcement surge is aimed at people with removal orders and criminal records, and federal officials pointed to this case as an example.

CalMatters said it believes in transparency from the people it covers and holds its reporting to the same standard.

Sources

• CalMatters
• KVPR
• Long Beach Post
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on X
• Bill Melugin, Fox News, on X

Reporting by Daily Beltway.