Talks from detention center the daughter of a 84-year-old Cuban woman who arrived in the U.S. by sea.

The daughter of Olga Díaz, the 84-year-old Cuban woman who arrived in the United States on a boat and is now facing a deportation order, has stated in an interview with Telemundo 51 that her greatest fear is being returned to Cuba.

"I risked my mother's life because we could no longer take it. I need to be with her because all she does is cry and cry," said Nilda Cordero, the daughter of Olga Díaz, from the immigration detention center where she is being held after making the sea voyage from Cuba.

Mother and daughter were intercepted by the United States Border Patrol upon arriving in a boat at the Florida Keys, near Marathon. The elderly woman was released from the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) center in Miramar (Florida), but the daughter has been transferred to the Broward detention center, also under ICE jurisdiction.

"I was here at the house and I received a call from a strange number and when I answered it was my mom calling me to say, 'Daddy, I'm here.' I still can't believe it," explained Michael Hernández, grandson of the elderly woman and son of Nilda Cordero, in statements to Telemundo 51.

Originally from Guanabacoa (Havana), Olga Díaz claims that when she is accompanied, she feels fine, but when there are few people in the house, where her family resides in Florida, she feels sad. "I miss her," said the elderly woman when asked about her detained daughter. She has also stated that she still doesn't believe she is in the United States.

The family is concerned because at first they were told that Olga Díaz's daughter would be released, but that ultimately did not happen. Nilda Cordero's sister is convinced that she risked her mother's life by making the journey from Cuba because she was desperate, and she fears for what will happen to her mother since her future in the United States is not secure.

Nilda Cordero described the journey from Cuba as "very tough" and stated that her mother did the entire trip "vomiting" and even defecated on herself, and they had to carry her and put her in the sea to clean her.

Dainay Cordero, the other daughter of Olga Díaz, who is in Miami, claims that her mother does not know her and spends most of the time crying. To be able to stay in the United States, both Nilda Cordero and Olga Díaz need to be given the opportunity to face a credible fear interview.

This Monday, August 26, the United States Coast Guard returned two rafters to Cuba who were intercepted south of Marathon on August 20. On the 23rd of this same month, another 41 people were returned to the Island. Five of them had spent several days adrift.

A total of 15,645 Cubans entered the United States during the month of July, according to the latest data provided by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This figure represents a slight decrease compared to June, when 17,563 Cubans entered the country, marking the lowest entry recorded in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1, 2023. During this period, 196,567 Cubans have entered the U.S. through various means.