Democratic congressman from Tampa meets with the husband of the deported Cuban woman

The Democratic congresswoman from Tampa, Kathy Castor, met with Carlos Yuniel Valle, the husband of Heidy Sánchez, a recently deported Cuban mother.

"We are taking all possible measures to reunite this family and, unfortunately, we are still waiting for a response from the White House explaining its illegal actions," announced the politician on her Instagram account.

Castor, who represents Florida's 14th district, wrote that this story is not only disturbing but also outrageous.

"The Trump administration is separating families for political purposes," he wrote.

The congresswoman has raised her voice to denounce the deportation of Heidy, who left her husband and her one-year-old daughter in the United States. The little girl, still nursing, was hospitalized shortly after the deportation due to the distress caused by her mother's sudden absence.

The case has been described by the lawmaker as "cruel," "illegal," and "a deep stain on the Trump administration," which she holds directly responsible for what she labels as an "extremist deportation agenda."

Castor met with Carlos Valle to learn firsthand the details of a separation that has caused emotional and medical turmoil in the marriage and their baby.

A deportation without prior notice

Heidy Sánchez resided in Tampa, where she worked as a home health aide. She held an I-220B immigration document, a supervision order that allows her to remain in the United States while a deportation process is being resolved, provided that certain conditions are met.

The young woman was fulfilling her obligations to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including attending her check-in appointments. However, without any prior notice, ICE moved her last appointment—originally scheduled for May—forward and proceeded to detain and deport her within a matter of hours.

The immigration lawyer Claudia Cañizares, who took on her defense, explained that despite strictly adhering to her appointments and being married to a U.S. citizen, that does not necessarily mean there would be a solution.

"It all depends on the steps that were taken, whether a family petition was made, whether a pardon was requested for this deportation, if the correct measures were taken to avoid reaching the point that unfortunately happened," he noted.

The attorney emphasized that the I-220B, if any action is to be taken, must be months before the appointments. "Bringing a lawyer on the same day means absolutely nothing," she warned.

Call for humanitarian parole

In a letter sent to President Trump, Castor demanded the immediate granting of a humanitarian parole to allow Sánchez's return and reunification with her daughter and husband.

"The treatment of the Sánchez-Valle family is repugnant to American values and constitutional protections. You have the authority to grant humanitarian parole to Mrs. Sánchez and reunite this family today in Tampa," wrote the congresswoman.

She also recalled the conditions to which the deported mother has been returned: "Due to the suffocating oppression in Cuba and the lack of essential goods such as food and drinking water, Mrs. Sánchez should not be sent to a country where she will suffer and be harmed."

A broken family and a divided country

The deportation of Sánchez has not only sparked outrage in the halls of Congress. From social media, her husband, Carlos Yuniel Valle, has publicly expressed his pain and frustration.

In a Facebook post, he thanked Castor for his support but also criticized the silence of other political figures.

"My God, I can't keep watching my wife suffer like this. Where are the human rights in this country?" he wrote in a direct appeal to Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, a Cuban-American Republican representative, whom he criticized for not speaking out on the matter.

In statements to Telemundo, Heidy Sánchez told from Cuba about the emotional impact of her deportation and the anguish of not being able to hold her baby in her arms.

He arrived on the Island on a flight with 82 other deported migrants, amidst fear and uncertainty. "I plead with you once again to please help us, to continue doing everything you can," he urged in an interview with CiberCuba.

An ongoing legal and moral battle

Sánchez's case has become a symbol of the clash between hardline immigration policies and the family principles that the country ostensibly upholds.

Castor, firm in his stance, has intensified his efforts since the Congress: "The Trump administration is brazenly lying when it claims to be pro-family, while the president tears a nursing baby from her mother's arms to fulfill his extremist deportation agenda."

From Tampa to Washington, pressure is mounting on the White House to respond to what many are already calling an avoidable tragedy and an act of institutionalized injustice.

For the Sánchez-Valle family, every day matters. "I'm missing my life, I'm missing my everything," Heidy repeats from Cuba. And in her pain, the silent cry of so many separated families echoes.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Deportation of Heidy Sánchez Tejeda