Carlos Yuniel Valle, husband of Heydi Sánchez Tejeda - a Cuban deported this Thursday despite being the mother of a one-year-old girl - expressed gratitude for the support received and asserted that he will continue fighting to reunite his family.
“I’m going to make this video without motivation, without desire, without breath,” said Yuniel at the beginning of a video in which he narrated the uncertainty that surrounded the case until the last moment, as he found out from a friend that his wife was already there.
"All that we did was for nothing. In the end, ICE and Trump got their way," he lamented.
“They separated a girl from her mother. They killed a mother, a father, and the future of a girl while she was still alive,” he added, visibly distressed.
Valle took the opportunity to thank journalists and media outlets that showed interest in the case and attempted to help.
"More than anything, I am also making this video to thank Mario Pentón, CiberCuba, Telemundo, Univision, the congresswoman from here in Tampa, and everyone else who truly treated me wonderfully, fighting for me; there were ‘millions’ of people wanting to help," he stated, although he lamented that "it couldn't happen" because "they were stronger."
Carlos Yuniel Valle explained that his wife's attorney informed him that, supposedly, ICE had arrived to sign the "Stop" - a procedure that could have halted the deportation - and it was even stamped accordingly, yet still, Heydi was put on the plane.
The Cuban also lamented the uncertainty they experienced
"Even at around 12:00 in the afternoon, when she had already been in Havana for over an hour, we still knew nothing. The computer indicated that she was being held at CBP, which was not true. The congresswoman called CBP and they said they had nothing to do with it, that they only deal with people entering, not those leaving."
Finally, he/she thanked once again everyone who has offered their support:
"Thank you very much to everyone who has helped me and continues to help me; I am not going to give up. I will keep fighting. She has a process underway, and we will see what we can do."
Case Background
Heydi Sánchez Tejeda was detained on April 22 at the immigration agency in the city of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, when she showed up for her annual appointment as part of a migration regularization process she had been waiting for years.
Carlos Yuniel Valle, her husband and a U.S. citizen, shared a heartbreaking first video on social media where, visibly distressed, he urgently sought help.
In the video, Valle was seen crying while holding her young daughter in her arms. In a testimony filled with despair, she recounted that after the separation, the child was utterly inconsolable, with her screams heard from outside the immigration office.
Heydi, who arrived in the United States five years ago and received a Supervision and Deportation Order (I-220B), was awaiting a response to her claim process, submitted more than two years ago.
The Cuban woman had no criminal record and had met all legal requirements: she was employed, paid taxes, and stayed within the law.
In statements made later to CiberCuba, Carlos Yuniel Valle specified that the meeting was originally scheduled for April 30, but was unexpectedly moved up to Tuesday, the 22nd.
They both arrived accompanied by their daughter and a lawyer, unaware of the traumatic experience they were about to endure.
Minutes after arriving, Valle received a distressing call from his wife: “She told me in tears to come pick up the girl because she had to stay.”
Visibly affected, Carlos Yuniel recounted that the agents handed over the little girl to him, who was just screaming and crying. He was not even allowed to say goodbye to his wife.
Heydi's last interview at ICE had been six months ago.
It is worth noting that Heydi spent nine months in prison after her arrival in the country. During her time at the detention center, she became ill with kidney problems and had to sign a deportation letter.
Her husband recounted that it was such a critical health moment that she even considered returning to Cuba, although she was not deported at that time.
The couple is legally married and, after several attempts, they managed to have their daughter through in vitro fertilization. The little one was born premature and still relies on breastfeeding, a feeding that has now been abruptly taken away.
A case of injustice that defies logic
The detention and deportation of Heydi Sánchez Tejeda have sparked a wave of outrage, especially since she had no criminal record, complied with all laws, worked, and paid taxes.
Carlos Yuniel Valle, overwhelmed by pain, has repeatedly denounced what he considers a profound injustice in recent days.
"She has never been given even a ticket in this country. She has worked, paid taxes, and done everything legally. What they are doing to her is an injustice," she has reiterated on several occasions.
Sánchez was repatriated on a flight that transported 82 Cuban migrants from the United States to Havana on Thursday morning.
According to the Ministry of the Interior of Cuba, with this operation, a total of 450 Cubans have been deported so far in 2025, through 15 return flights from various countries.
This is not an isolated case. In recent weeks, several Cubans have been detained under similar circumstances.
Such is the case of Víctor Manuel Izquierdo Peralta, a 21-year-old who was also arrested in Tampa during a migration appointment, despite processing his legal residency through marriage to a U.S. citizen. ICE informed him that he would have to wait for the resolution of the case from Cuba, even though he had not violated any of the imposed conditions.
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