“They took the wheat with the tares,” says Daniel Durán Águila, brother of the young Cuban Denis Durán, one of the more than ten migrants with I-220A arrested this week in the Miami immigration court by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
His case has moved thousands on social media after the journalist from Univisión, Javier Díaz, shared the video of the moment when the young man's mother knelt in tears before the U.S. officers, begging them not to take him away.
Dressed in a suit and tie, Denis attended a migration appointment that was initially supposed to be virtual but was changed at the last minute to an in-person meeting. Upon arrival, he was detained without a clear explanation, according to his family. He is currently at the Alligator Alcatraz prison in Florida, alongside other Cubans who were also arrested that day.
“There is no apparent reason why my brother was detained,” Daniel shared in an interview with Univisión. “What we believe is that, due to the ongoing wave of immigrant captures, he simply fell randomly into a raid. But there is no probable cause for which they could have detained him.”
"It brings neither crimes nor problems, just a desire to move forward."
Daniel assures that his brother has done everything correctly since his arrival in the U.S. as a migrant.
“Arrived seeking work since the first year, has been paying taxes for three years, has a clean criminal record, and is studying to work in the real estate sector. Their goal is to buy a house, like anyone who wants to better themselves.”
The young man, who resides in the United States under immigration supervision with an I-220A form, has not been charged with any crime and has attended all his legal appointments.
For Daniel, the arrest was a blow: “Your world collapses. I know it's necessary to remove the weeds, but in those phases, a lot of good-quality wheat is being taken away, and one of them is my brother.”
The Plea of a Cuban Mother
The most heartbreaking moment occurred before the eyes of other migrants: a Cuban mother kneeling in court, pleading for her son. An image that has sparked outrage and sorrow among Cubans both on and off the island.
“Right now, I am in a prayer chain with all the churches and brothers who are aware of the situation… We didn't see this coming. What is happening is not fair,” lamented Daniel.
The Durán family, like many Latino migrants, had seen in Donald Trump a hope for economic recovery in the U.S., but they never imagined that his immigration policy would impact them in this way.
"Many Cubans voted for Trump, yes, because we wanted an economic change. But not to drive out immigrants. His hatred towards the Cuban community is neither well-founded nor justified."
Daniel, who is a legal resident in the U.S., is now calling for awareness and a fair review of cases, focusing on true risks to society rather than on hardworking individuals with no criminal records.
“They are detaining many who are simply working and contributing to the economy. They are causing harm to themselves as a country by deporting these kinds of people.”
Denis's case is not isolated. In recent days, the arrest of other Cubans under the I-220A and B programs has been reported, all of whom have no criminal record, generating fear and frustration in communities that came to the U.S. seeking freedom and refuge from repression.
For Daniel and his family, hope rests on justice and the possibility that his brother can be released on bail and continue his immigration process in freedom.
"We don't want special treatment, only fairness. Let them see who is who. Do not destroy families for the sake of a number."
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