Accidentally deported citizen found at border

updated 4:37 p.m. ET Aug. 7, 2007

LOS ANGELES - A U.S. citizen who was wrongly deported in May was found at a border crossing and could be reunited with his family soon, an American Civil Liberties Union spokesman said Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Carlos Chung ordered Pedro Guzman’s release at a hearing Tuesday in Lancaster. Guzman, 29, was expected to rejoin his family later in the day, according to ACLU Southern California spokesman Michael Soller.

Guzman was jailed on a misdemeanor trespassing violation and deported to Mexico on May 11, according to authorities, after he allegedly told immigration and sheriff’s officials that he was an illegal immigrant.

Guzman’s family is suing federal and county officials over the deportation. In the lawsuit, the family claims Guzman is mentally disabled and was asked about his immigration status in jail and responded that he was born in California.

The ACLU, which helped file the lawsuit, has said it has a copy of Guzman’s birth certificate showing he was born at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

U.S. State Department officials have denied the family’s claim that Guzman was mentally disabled, and federal and county officials have maintained they acted properly.

Guzman’s family said he called them soon after he was deported to tell them what happened but couldn’t say exactly where he was. After that they lost touch with him.

They said they spent weeks frantically searching in Mexico for him.

More from msnbc.com Scoop: Woods’ wife reportedly gets new prenup Red Tape: Hidden fees more annoying than dog poop  Amid recession, meth menace rages  |   Video So, what is the actual surge strategy? Party crashers' e-mails gush with gratitude Williams marks 5 years as Nightly News anchor On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM SECURITY

Security Section Front

Some in crew blame captain in pirate raid Blackwater founder feels jilted by leaks   Mexico raids underground tunnel into U.S. 9/11 families mixed on Afghan surge Tracking smugglers along the Mexican border 570,000 9/11 pager messages released U.S. offers $5 million reward for 'Bomb Man' Security Section Front   Add Security headlines to your news reader: