Related videos:
A Cuban family divided by immigration policy faces the pain of distance and the uncertainty of the future, while pleading for a humanitarian exception that would allow a minor to reunite with her parents in the United States.
At the heart of the drama is Lauren, a 15-year-old teenager who remains in Cuba unable to reunite with her parents, who emigrated to Miami three years ago under a legal family reunification process.
Three years of separation and an unexpected obstacle
In 2022, Leymi Reyes Figueredo and her husband began their journey to the United States after being petitioned by a son of the man, a U.S. citizen.
As part of the migration process, they temporarily left Lauren in Cuba in the care of her maternal grandparents, with the plan for her to reunite with them later through an F2A visa.
This category is designed for unmarried children under 21 years old of legal permanent residents.
“The plan was to bring her with an F2A immigrant visa,” Reyes explained, recalling how from the beginning they even had the support of Senator Marco Rubio's office to help expedite the process.
However, everything changed abruptly in June 2025, when a presidential proclamation initiated by President Donald Trump came into effect.
This measure, known as a "travel ban," restricts the entry into the United States of citizens from several countries, including Cuba, citing "national security" reasons.
A visa denied by presidential order
Despite the efforts and the documentation submitted, the dream of reunification crumbled with an official notification.
"On August 8, we were informed that Lauren's visa was denied due to the presidential proclamation,” Reyes recounted, still shaken by the blow received.
The measure directly affects applicants of various visa categories, including family reunification visas (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4), as well as tourist visas (B1/B2), academic exchange visas (J), student visas (M), and even the well-known diversity visa lottery (DV).
Exemptions are only considered in critical medical situations, humanitarian reasons, or cases deemed to be of "public interest."
The most poignant voice in the call for justice is that of Eva Figueroa, Lauren's grandmother and cancer patient.
The woman lives not only with the burden of her illness but also with the anxiety of not knowing if she will be able to see her granddaughter again.
Through tears, she made a desperate plea to President Trump to allow an exception in the case of the minor.
"I have faith in God, but Trump needs to help us with this," Figueroa said in statements to Telemundo 51.
The grandmother recounted, with pain, how Lauren begins to doubt whether she is welcome in the country where her parents reside: “She asks me if she should really try to come to a country where they don't want her.”
For Eva, the separation is not only unjust but also cruel: "Free the minors from the travel ban... the children are not here to cause harm,” she insisted, her voice trembling with emotion and illness.
The Reyes-Figueroa family insists that their case is not unique. Many Cuban children are caught in a migratory limbo, separated from their parents due to a policy that does not take into account the individual human circumstances behind each visa application.
For this reason, they are calling on the U.S. government to grant exceptions in cases of family reunification and to ensure that minors are not collateral victims of political decisions.
Filed under: