People v. Mendez CA2/3

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Mendez was born in Mexico in 1975. He moved to the United States and became a lawful permanent resident (LPR)

Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 in 1992.2 Mendez’s mother, father, and siblings are naturalized United States citizens. In 1995, a jury convicted Mendez of second degree robbery (§ 211) and found true a firearm enhancement allegation (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)). The trial court sentenced him to three years in prison, consisting of the low term of two years for the robbery, plus one year for the firearm enhancement. The court gave Mendez credit for 229 days in custody, which included 153 days of actual custody. Mendez remained in the United States after serving his prison sentence, and he renewed his LPR status twice. Mendez met his wife in 1997, and they married a few years later. They have two children together. At some point, Mendez started working as an aviation technician. Federal agents detained Mendez in 2015. The federal government sought to remove him from the United States, citing his robbery conviction. In 2019, an immigration judge granted Mendez a waiver that allowed him to remain in the United…