Cuban family detained after legally attending immigration court in San Antonio, Texas

A Cuban family that had been fighting for political asylum in the United States for three years was detained on Wednesday morning by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) just after appearing before an immigration court in San Antonio, Texas.

According to Amanda Aguilar, attorney from the firm Law Offices of Garcia and Rodriguez, and reported by local media such as Fox San Antonio and KENS 5, the family had legally attended a hearing for their asylum case when they were arrested by ICE officers as they left the courtroom.

“The case was dismissed quickly and the agents were already waiting for them outside,” the attorney stated.

The Cuban family, consisting of a couple and their daughter and son, was subjected to an "expedited removal" process, a legal provision that allows for the rapid deportation of foreigners without presenting their case before a judge if they fail to demonstrate a "credible fear" of persecution.

“It is a process that severely limits the right to defense,” warned Aguilar. “They have been here for about three years as a family, and they entered the country seeking legal protection. They did everything through the judicial route.”

Now, their fate is in the hands of the immigration authorities. As the lawyer explained, they will be sent to a processing center in San Antonio, where they could be released with an electronic ankle monitor or transferred to a family detention center, likely in the southern part of the state.

The detention of this family occurs amid a series of immigration enforcement raids in San Antonio. In just the last two weeks, ICE has arrested more than a dozen people in similar circumstances.

In a statement, the federal agency defended its actions by stating that it is upholding the law and putting an end to the previous administration's policy of "catch and release."

“Most of the foreigners who entered illegally in the last two years are subject to expedited removal. If they do not have a credible fear claim, they will be deported quickly,” stated the agency.

The case of this family highlights the increasing uncertainty faced by thousands of Cuban migrants who are up against a hardened immigration system and increasingly restrictive policies. Many have left everything behind, fleeing repression, insecurity, and the economic crisis, only to encounter a legal barrier that is difficult to overcome.

Also in Texas, another Cuban family was recently separated when Samir, a father with no criminal record or infractions, was detained by ICE during a routine appointment. His wife, Ana Samira Amador, reported the detention on social media, lamenting the disruption of their home: "Today they are separating a family... They have shattered a harmonious and loving home,” she wrote.

Days earlier, a Cuban mother shared through tears the arrest of her son, Yaugel Rivera Marrero, a young electrician who, according to her, "has only worked". “Here we are almost the same as in Cuba... if we don't raise our voices, who will?” she said despairingly. Her testimony, shared by influencer Dairon Cano, moved thousands of Cubans who also fear for their children or relatives in the asylum process.

Tens of thousands of Cubans have applied for asylum in the U.S., many of them with young children. The hope of rebuilding their lives in freedom now clashes with an increasingly rigid immigration policy.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the resumption of processing for beneficiaries of humanitarian parole, including applications under the Cuban Adjustment Act, which provides relief for those who have been in the country for one year and one day. However, for those facing a streamlined removal order, time is not on their side.