Related videos:
The family of Jesús López Rodríguez, a 61-year-old Cuban who has been living in the United States for over two decades, is living a nightmare. After six months detained by immigration agents and a recent deportation order, his elderly mother, who depends on him and is deeply distressed, is pleading for him not to be sent back to Cuba, a country he hasn't stepped foot in for 21 years.
The case was revealed by MLive, a medium to which the mother stated she is “very sad because he is a very good son and a member of the community. He does not deserve what is happening to him.”
Jesús arrived in the U.S. in 2004 through the Cuban visa lottery, approved by the American Embassy in Havana. Since then, he has been an active member of the Flint community, where he opened a small food business and for years cooked Cuban pizzas at cultural events, volunteer activities, and youth programs.
A neighbor from the city, in a testimony shared by flint.daily.810, recounted how Jesús managed to get his son, a shy teenager who was extremely selective with food, to try a pizza he made, which he ended up loving. Since then, every time they met at community events, the young man would ask to see “Jesús the pizza guy” again.
That memory, the author says, sums up who this Cuban is: warm, friendly, and always ready to help.
Six months detained and "inhuman" conditions, according to his family
Jesus was detained by ICE on June 2 while driving to work. He has been held since then at the Calhoun County Correctional Center in Battle Creek.
Family members, advocates, and members of the Flint Alliance for Immigrant Rights (FAIR) report severely unsafe and inhumane conditions:
- lack of medical attention for a prostate condition that prevents him from urinating for days,
- untreated infections on the scalp,
- isolation as a response to seeking medical attention,
- lack of glasses for reading legal documents,
- limited access to calls and communication with your lawyer.
A close friend told MLive: “Sometimes, when he wakes up, the wall is covered in blood from those infections. Instead of treating it, they isolated him.”
FAIR also reported low-quality food, unsanitary conditions, and serious negligence in medical care. "No one should be subjected to this level of abuse. We need to act to bring Jesus home," stated Lucine Jarrah, a member of the coalition.
Deportation order and a race against time appeal
On December 2, an immigration judge ordered his deportation to Cuba. The family has 30 days to appeal, but they fear that ICE will carry out the removal before the legal process advances.
Defenders argue that returning a Cuban who legally left over 20 years ago, and who is facing the current economic and political crisis on the island, poses a risk to his life and security, especially in the case of someone deported from the U.S.
Friends and community leaders assert that Jesús poses no danger to anyone. Over a decade ago, he served a sentence for a non-violent crime related to marijuana, and since then, he has maintained a clean record, working, cooking for volunteers, and supporting community programs.
"Our community cannot remain silent while a legal permanent resident is separated from their family," stated Asa Zuccaro, director of the Latinx Community and Technology Center.
FAIR launched a fundraising campaign and a state letter of support to demand their release, access to medical care, and an investigation into the reported conditions.
The organization stated, "Our community has the power to protect our neighbors. Please support Jesús and his family."
Journalist Patrick Hayes, in a local publication, warned that cases like this reflect a federal policy that “traumatizes whole communities without improving anyone's safety.” “It is indefensible from any moral or human perspective,” he wrote.
Filed under: