The young Cuban mother Elienay Estrada received notification this Tuesday that her request to postpone deportation, submitted on June 18, 2025, has been denied. She is I-220B, had an appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in early June, when her baby was just two months old, and they gave her a new annual appointment for June 2026, but just a few days later they summoned her again to the ICE offices.
In just a week, she searched for and found a lawyer (Irma Yanet Ramírez) to avoid meeting the same fate as Heidy Sánchez Tejeda, who was deported to Cuba last April, leaving behind her one-and-a-half-year-old breastfeeding baby.
In the deportation hearing, Elienay Estrada's legal representative argued that her client has an ongoing family reunification process and is a recent mother to a baby girl, an American citizen, who is just almost four months old. Both are compelling arguments, but they have not been considered to halt her deportation process.
The confirmation of the denial reached her through the office of Cuban-American Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, despite the fact that the representative for Elienay Estrada's district, whom she initially approached, is Carlos Giménez. However, as she explained in statements to CiberCuba, Giménez has not shown any signs of life.
Another thing, very different, is Mario Díaz-Balart. In fact, she received the denial of her unemployment claim prior to the deportation from Díaz-Balart's office rather than from ICE.
Despite the dark clouds on the horizon, Elienay Estrada remains optimistic and has faith that her lawyer will be able to reopen her case. In the meantime, she makes the most of every minute of her life with her baby. She is now clear that in the event of deportation, she would take her to Cuba, as it is the lesser evil, although it is not the option that the child's father prefers, as he fears for their daughter's future on the Island.
Elienay Estrada became a mother in Fort Myers last May. Following the turmoil caused by the deportation of Heidy Sánchez, Eleinay Estrada's case gained greater significance. She even reached out for help from Congressman Carlos Giménez's office, who stated he would do his best to assist her despite the narrow window of opportunity they had (just five days before the appointment with ICE).
Filed under:
