A Reseda man Monday expressed his happiness and gratitude for being home again after spending several months in federal custody following an arrest at a Burbank Home Depot. 

Juan Carlos Meija said he had been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention following his arrest in June. 

Meija, who is undocumented, said he was buying work material with his son when he came across federal immigration agents. 

“Two-hundred two days I’m in jail. It’s so hard to stay there,” the Guatemala native, who has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years, said. 

Before his release, Meija was kept at Texas detention centers. Prior to that, he was detained at a facility near the Mexican border, which may have put him on a fast track to deportation. 

But a mix of good will and good fortune led him to an attorney and a move to what his attorney sees as a more favorable detention center in El Paso.

“We had told the family, ‘Be careful that he should not sign this voluntary return. He has a good case. This is one, even if he has to tough it out. This is one worth fighting,’” Jeremy Anderson, Meija’s attorney, recalled telling his family.

Anderson said because Meija has “little to no criminal record” along with the fact that he has spent more than 10 years in the U.S. may give him a fighting chance. 

Meija was able to return home after being released on bail. 

“I’m so happy to see my life. I’m happy to see my kids. And I’m happy to see all my friends pray for me,” he said. “I just want to say, ‘Thank you. Thank you.’”

As Meija’s case moves through the immigration system, Anderson said he’s hopeful even under the current climate of the Trump administration. 

“Even in the context of this administration, a strong case is a strong case,” Meija’s attorney said. “And to the credit of good immigration judges, we’re not seeing broad deviation from the legal standards.”

Anderson added that he believes the system is still working even though it’s “being put under more pressure.”

NBC Los Angeles reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment about Meija’s bail and release.