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The faces of anguish, uncertainty, and despair have names: Giovanys Vidiaux Reve, Frank Rodríguez Curvelo, and Iván García Pérez.
They are just three of the many Cubans with I-220A immigration status who have been detained in recent days by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States.
They are joined by other names such as Frank González and Reinel Panfet.
The voice of a desperate wife
Marielys Gómez, wife of Giovanys Vidiaux Reve, directed a letter to the journalist of Univision, Javier Díaz, pleading for support and visibility regarding what she considers an injustice.
“I am reaching out to you with my heart in my hand. My husband was detained during a scheduled appointment with ICE in Houston, despite having fulfilled all his legal obligations. He has no criminal record, not even a traffic ticket,” she wrote.
The woman claimed that Giovanys, 45 years old, arrived in the United States in 2021 with an I-220A, a document that allowed him to remain under supervised release while his immigration case was being resolved.
He assures that during this time he has been working for an energy company, supporting his family. His arrest on November 4th occurred without any explanation.
“This situation has me devastated. I have a son with autism who requires constant medical attention. I can't work, I'm alone with two children, without support. I don't understand why they arrest a responsible father, a hard-working man,” Gómez expressed.
"They arrested him a month after becoming a father": The case of Frank Rodríguez Curvelo
Another story of pain is that of Frank Rodríguez Curvelo, 30 years old, who was also arrested on November 4th.
His wife, Arlet, is going through the difficult time of caring for their newborn baby alone while trying to process what happened.
"I never imagined they would arrest him, especially now that we were just starting our life as a family. He has no criminal record; he has only worked for an American company," the young mother, still in the breastfeeding stage, recounted.
Frank is currently held at the controversial detention center Alligator Alcatraz.
"I just wanted to study and work": Young Cuban nursing graduate behind bars
The case of Iván García Pérez has mobilized an entire university community.
This 26-year-old Cuban nurse was arrested on November 7 in Miramar, Florida, on the very same day he received authorization to take the NCLEX exam, the final step to obtain his professional nursing license in the U.S.
"Iván is not a criminal. He is a quiet young man who just wanted to improve himself. Today he is scared, far from his family, and we are devastated, not understanding how something like this can happen," wrote his cousin Rubén Banegas.
Students from Miami Regional University released a video demanding his release, highlighting that the young man has fulfilled all his immigration duties and has no criminal record.
His family has asked lawmakers for help to prevent a deportation they consider arbitrary and cruel.
Other names, same destiny
In addition to Giovanys, Frank Rodríguez, and Iván, the arrests of Frank González and even Reinel Panfet, a former sports coach, have also been reported, although the details of their cases have not yet been disclosed.
The only constant is their shared vulnerability: the I-220A status.
The Legal Limbo of I-220A: A Growing Threat
These personal stories reflect a larger issue affecting more than 400,000 Cubans living in the United States under the immigration status known as I-220A, a form of supervised release that has begun to reveal its flaws.
Immigration attorney Willy Allen has repeatedly warned about the dangers of the I-220A: while it seemingly allows the migrant to remain in the country while their case is being resolved, in practice, it leaves them in a state of extreme vulnerability.
"It is a legal limbo that could result in deportations without a final order," Allen has pointed out.
"And although it could be recognized in the future as a valid parole for applying under the Cuban Adjustment Act, the judicial process may leave many victims along the way," he added.
As these families cry out for justice, frustration grows with the apparent silence or ineffectiveness of Cuban-American political representatives, who have been unable to halt this rising wave of arrests.
"Families are being separated without a fair opportunity for those who respect the law. These are not criminals, but workers, parents, students, people who just want a dignified life," activists and relatives of the arrested have reported.
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