The anguish of a Cuban family has once again been laid bare following the arrest of Daniel Reyes Acosta, a 29-year-old with I-220A who was detained on Tuesday by a Florida Highway Patrol officer in West Palm Beach and handed over to ICE despite having no violations or criminal record.
“I’m terrified of going out to work and having the same thing happen to me. Who will take care of my child if I get detained too?” said the wife in statements to journalist Javier Díaz of Univision. She also has an I-220A and claims to live each day in fear that what happened to her husband will happen to her.
The detention of Reyes, who has a work permit, a valid Real ID until 2029, and a completely clean record, has sparked outrage among Cubans in Florida who see these operations as a pattern of targeted arrests against individuals with I-220A, even if they have not committed any crime.
The very agent who made the arrest stated, according to the family, that the system flagged the license plate because the owner "was neither a citizen nor a resident" and had an ongoing case with immigration.
The wife insists that her family came to the United States seeking protection, not conflict.
"We came to work and to move forward. We have no crimes, we have no violations. The only thing we have done is fight for our son and for a better future."
For her, the arrest not only means the possible deportation of her husband but also the threat of leaving her American-born son helpless. “This breaks you inside. I can't find the words. It is destroying us,” she confessed, clearly affected.
Reyes, who was detained in Cuba following the protests on July 11, 2021, had managed to rebuild part of his life in the U.S. He started his own window installation company, works legally, and takes care of his young son. His family asserts that he is a well-adjusted man, respectful of the law, and has no negative history.
The young man's uncle, who went to the location to collect the vehicle, described the scene as a mix of respect and devastation. "They treated him well, but they took him away. He hadn't done anything," he said.
The wife, like hundreds of Cubans with I-220A who are closely following this case, is asking for help and pleading for humanity. She asserts that they are left with nothing but faith. “Let them pray, let them ask God. We came here to work, not to commit crimes. We just want a chance.”
While Reyes remains detained, his family lives in constant fear, with the daily worry that the next person to be arrested could be anyone in their household. An entire community shares that feeling, not knowing if tomorrow the same patrol will knock on their door.
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