The Cuban journalist living in Miami Javier Diaz He accompanied a fellow citizen with a deportation order to his appointment at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where he was required without a specific reason.
“I was there to witness first-hand what he feels on behalf of thousands of other Cubans who have not yet managed to legalize their status in the country and are called by the federal agency,” he said on his Instagram account.
This Wednesday Díaz traveled to Miramar, in Broward County, with Roilan Corrales Martineza Cuban who arrived in the country in 2019 and after being detained for a year and nine months, was released with a deportation order, despite having passed his credible fear interview.
“These interviews with ICE become their worst nightmare after the possibility of being deported,” the reporter noted.
Fortunately, Corrales Martínez was released, but with another court date scheduled for January 2025. In the remaining months, he must try to legalize his situation.
His case is similar to that of thousands of Cubans who remain in immigration limbo in the United States after entering the country illegally.
Every day dozens of illegal immigrants come to ICE offices for their appointmentswhich may be for a routine check, such as verifying their address or seeing if they have changed status, but in the worst case to detain them and send them back to Cuba, if the regime accepts them.
Nervous and worried, they go to the interview, knowing that if they don’t, they could be considered fugitives by the US authorities.
“When you think you’re having a bad day, remember this photo: they are migrants, mostly Cubans, who have an appointment with ICE and after passing this fence they risk being detained and therefore deported,” Javier Díaz said on his Facebook wall. Facebooknext to a photo of a long line of Cubans – many with I-220B documents – waiting their turn.
“It’s incredible how the lives of people who do not yet have legal status in the United States can change overnight,” he said.
In recent weeks, immigration lawyers in Miami have reported that authorities are detaining and deporting migrants with I-220B documents (deportation orders), mostly young people with no criminal record who are working and integrating into society.
Last week The United States returned 54 irregular migrants to Cuba on a flight that landed at José Martí International Airport.
This was the 16th flight since deportations resumed in April last year. In total, 768 people have been returned.