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The young Cuban Iván García Pérez, 26 years old, was arrested on November 7 by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine appointment in Miramar, Florida, the same day he had received authorization to take the NCLEX exam, the final step to obtain his nursing license in the United States.
The report was made on the social media platform X by his cousin, Rubén Enrique Banegas Pérez, who sought help to raise awareness of the case and appealed to the humanity of the authorities.
"Iván is not a criminal. He is a normal, calm young man who has done nothing but study and improve himself. Today he is scared, far from his family, and his mother and all of our family are shocked and devastated, unable to understand how something like this could happen," he wrote.
In a message addressed to the journalist from Martí Noticias, Mario J. Pentón, Banegas explained that Iván García has I-220A immigration status, has attended all his appointments with the authorities, and has no criminal record or even a traffic violation.
“Everything was in order. However, when he went today, November 7, to his routine appointment in Miramar, he was detained without explanation or apparent justification,” stated in the letter sent to the Cuban communicator, who was asked for support in contacting congress members or public figures who could intervene in the case.
"We feel powerless in the face of a decision we consider unjust and inhumane. We do not understand why an exemplary young man, a student and health professional, is being detained with no risk or negative history. We firmly believe that public attention and the intervention of influential voices can prevent another injustice within the immigration system," wrote Banegas.
Context: Growing concern for Cubans with I-220A
García's detention takes place at a time of growing tension and uncertainty for Cubans who entered the United States under the I-220A form, a status that leaves them in legal limbo while they await the resolution of their cases.
The immigration expert lawyer Willy Allen has warned in several interviews with CiberCuba that Cubans with I-220A face a “huge danger” if they are detained, as the first deportations under this category have occurred in recent months, even for individuals without final deportation orders.
Allen, however, maintains that all holders of I-220A will eventually be regularized once the court determines whether this status should be considered a “parole”, which would open the possibility of applying for the Cuban Adjustment Act one year and one day after entering the country.
But he warns that the process could leave "victims along the way" due to arbitrary decisions and political pressure to take a tough stance on immigration.
Currently, it is estimated that more than 400,000 Cubans are under the I-220A status, awaiting a court decision that could be announced in the coming months.
"We demand justice and humanity."
Iván García's family has expressed their desperation and hopes that raising awareness about his case can prevent his deportation. "We ask for justice, humanity, and his immediate release," his cousin wrote on social media, insisting that the young nurse only seeks to "continue contributing to the healthcare system of this country that he loves so much."
Meanwhile, concerns are growing within the Cuban community in the United States about the fate of those, like Iván, who live with the hope of regularizing their situation and the constant fear of being detained and deported.
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