The young Cuban nurse Iván García Pérez, 26, was detained on November 7 by agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine appointment in Miramar, Florida, on the same day he had received authorization to take the NCLEX exam, the final step to obtain his professional license in the United States.
His arrest has sparked a wave of outrage and solidarity within the Cuban community and the university environment in South Florida. Classmates from Miami Regional University posted a video on social media demanding his release and denouncing what they describe as an unjust detention.
“The only thing Iván has done is study, make sacrifices, work hard, and do everything within the framework of the law. We are outraged because he is an exemplary person who has chosen the difficult but right path: that of effort and hard work,” expressed his cousin, Rubén Enrique Banegas Pérez, in a video posted on the social media platform X.
Banegas reported that the young man was arrested for no apparent reason, despite having met all the immigration requirements and having no criminal record or infractions.
"Iván is not a criminal. He is an ordinary, calm young man who has only wanted to better himself. Today he is scared, far from his family, and we are devastated, unable to understand how something like this can happen," he wrote in a message to journalist Mario J. Pentón of Martí Noticias.
In the letter, the family states that the young man holds I-220A immigration status, a designation that grants supervised release while his case is being processed by immigration authorities. "Everything was in order," remarked Banegas, who sought assistance from congress members and public figures to prevent his deportation.
A case that reflects the uncertainty of thousands of Cubans
The arrest of Iván García comes at a time of increasing tension for the more than 400,000 Cubans who remain in the United States under the I-220A status, a legal limbo that leaves them vulnerable to arbitrary detentions.
The immigration lawyer Willy Allen has warned that this category represents a "huge danger" for those who carry it, as in recent months the first deportations of Cubans with I-220A have been recorded, even without final removal orders.
Although Allen believes that eventually this figure could be recognized as a parole, allowing its beneficiaries to take advantage of the Cuban Adjustment Act, he also warns that the judicial process "could leave victims along the way."
Meanwhile, Iván García's family insists that his detention is unfounded and fears that he will be deported to a reality he left behind in search of freedom and opportunities.
“We request justice, humanity, and his immediate release,” expressed his cousin, who claims that the young man only wishes to continue contributing to the healthcare system of this country that he loves so much.
Awaiting a decision about his future, the story of this young nurse embodies one of the greatest uncertainties faced by thousands of Cubans who, like him, only wanted to study, work, and build a life in freedom.
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