Immigration agents detained a U.S. citizen for 10 days after he was accused of illegally entering the United States while reportedly visiting Arizona this month, his family said.
But the Department of Homeland Security said Jose Hermosillo's arrest "was the direct result of Hermosillo’s own actions and statements."
Hermosillo, 19, who lives in Albuquerque, was detained near Nogales, Arizona, on April 8, court documents say. They allege that he illegally entered the country from Mexico and was found "without the proper immigration documents."
According to the court documents, Hermosillo "admitted to illegally entering the United States of America from Mexico on or about April 7, 2025."
Arizona Public Media reported that Hermosillo and his girlfriend went to Tucson to visit family.
The outlet reported that Hermosillo was lost and walking near Border Patrol headquarters when he was detained. He did not have identification on him and denied being in Nogales, according to Arizona Public Media.
Nogales, a city on the Mexico-U.S. border, is about 70 miles from Tucson.
Hermosillo's girlfriend's aunt, Grace Layva, said the family learned he was being detained in Florence Correctional Center in Arizona and provided officials with his Social Security card and birth certificate.
Hermosillo was released after 10 days, according to Arizona Public Media. His attorney did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment Monday.
Layva said that Hermosillo told agents he was from the United States but that "they didn't believe him," according to the news outlet.
"I think they would have kept him," she said. "He probably would have been deported already to Mexico."
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said that "the narrative being pushed about Jose Hermosillo is false."
McLaughlin said on X that Hermosillo approached Border Patrol agents in Tucson and said that he had illegally entered the country through Nogales and that wanted to turn himself in and complete "a sworn statement identifying as a Mexican citizen who had entered unlawfully."
"He was processed and appeared in court on April 11. Afterward, he was held by the U.S. Marshals in Florence, AZ. A few days later, his family presented documents showing U.S. citizenship," McLaughlin said. "The charges were dismissed, and he was released to his family."
The agency released a copy of a sworn statement signed by Hermosillo that says he was born in Mexico and is a citizen of Mexico. The statement says he was going to Tucson and entered the United States for work.
Court documents show that his case was dismissed without prejudice Thursday.
