As potent monsoon storms awaken a dormant desert around this time each year, Hernan Castro prepares to head for the southern Arizona mountains to forage for mushrooms that are a centerpiece of his life.
Castro’s passion for mushroom cultivation and ethical harvesting has earned him the nickname “mushroom man” in his hometown of Tucson. A self-trained mycology expert and regular fixture at farmers markets, he makes a living leading foraging trips to mushroom-rich places and selling fungi-related products through his online business.
But this summer, Castro is not free to scour the landscape for fungi that thrive in moist environments and help sustain his livelihood. The lawful immigrant sits behind bars for omitting a decades-old brush with the law when he applied for citizenship – something that now threatens his life in the United States amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement across the nation.
Castro, who came to the US from Mexico, has been a permanent legal resident and green card holder for more than 20 years. But on 31 May, he was arrested for not disclosing a drug arrest that dates back to his teenage years, on his 2022 citizenship application. He has been in detention ever since, and is now facing a trial on immigration fraud charges and possible deportation.
Friends and supporters are rallying around him and donating to a GoFundMe for his legal expenses that has raised more than $32,000.
“He’s been in the US this whole time and he’s had legal status,” said Cora Peterson, Castro’s friend. “I think it’s very unfair that he was detained.”
Legal experts, meanwhile, say Castro’s case is yet another sign of the Trump administration’s heavy-handed approach. Over the past several months, the president’s push for mass deportations of violent immigrants who are in the country unlawfully has expanded a crackdown across states to include those with minor offenses or no criminal records. Stricter enforcement also has ensnared immigrants with legal status – including law-abiding people with deep roots in the community – and even some US citizens.
‘Shifting enforcement priorities’
According to a 28 May indictment from the US attorney’s office of Arizona, Castro, 37, falsely answered “no” to the question: “Have you ever sold or smuggled controlled substances, illegal drugs or narcotics?” on his application for US naturalization – known as an N-400 form.
Castro, who has pleaded not guilty to the felony charges, is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing on Wednesday in the US district court in Tucson, with his trial due to begin in September. His right to remain in the US will depend on the outcome, but he faces the prospect of losing his legal status and being deported.
His lawyer, Matthew Green, declined to discuss the case but said his client remains in the custody of US marshals.
A wrong answer on immigration forms like the N-400 can have serious consequences for applicants navigating a complex system, said Linda Dakin-Grimm, an immigration attorney in Los Angeles. “Misrepresenting something, leaving something out can result in your status being taken away,” she said.
Fraud in the citizenship application process is unusual, Dakin-Grimm said. But she expects to see prosecution in cases that might happen from time to time because the Trump administration “has plainly shifted enforcement priorities”.
Mo Goldman, a Tucson immigration attorney, agreed that while cases like Castro’s are relatively uncommon, they are probably getting heightened scrutiny these days. While in the past alternatives to detention might have been considered, he said, that may no longer apply. “Right now, we’re seeing a much greater emphasis on taking people’s green cards away. They’re trying to deport more people.”
Peterson also believes that what’s happening to Castro is related to Donald Trump’s clampdown on “all sorts of immigration issues”, and hopes her friend will be able to beat the charges and return home. “He’s a well-respected member of the community.”
Castro said his foray into the world of medicinal mushrooms began in earnest about 10 years ago, according to an interview he gave on a 2023 episode of the Myco Guild podcast, when he began researching their healing properties to help his father recover from a series of strokes after an unfavorable prognosis. While he noted that the Food and Drug Administration has not approved medicinal mushrooms for medical conditions, Castro credits fungi extract as a critical factor in his father’s recovery.
A couple of years ago, Peterson used to interact regularly with Castro at farmers markets where they both sold mushroom products. “He’s been doing mushroom walks,” she said. “He’s been just sharing his knowledge, his botanical and fungal knowledge.”
Scott Huette met Castro at a venue where the mushroom forager had set up a booth showcasing his products. While Huette said the fraud allegations are serious, he doesn’t see why someone who poses no harm to the community needs to be incarcerated while the case moves through the court system. “Here’s somebody who I’ve met, who I feel contributes to the community, and I think is doing something relevant.”
Like Peterson, Huette also contributed toward Castro’s legal expenses. “I just felt like supporting a community member who’s in trouble, who needs assistance,” Huette said. “I’d like to see that he has an opportunity to defend himself.”