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The story of Daniel Alejandro Escobar, a young Cuban man of 25 years who was unexpectedly detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Miami, took an even more distressing turn when it was revealed that he was transferred to the detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz”, a complex surrounded by swamps where, according to reports from detained individuals' families, the conditions are extremely precarious.
His wife, also Cuban, Belixa De La Caridad Cubena Ramírez, confirmed to Telemundo 51 that the young man has been held there since Thursday without proper access to food or hygiene. "He hasn't been able to bathe, is receiving very little food, and is completely surrounded by swamps. It’s a very painful situation for all of us," she lamented.
The couple arrived in the United States in 2022, and Daniel was released with an I-220A, a document that, as immigration attorney Eduardo Soto explained to the media, does not equate to parole. This detail complicates the legal situation of thousands of migrants and leaves them more vulnerable to unexpected detentions, even without a criminal record.
Belixa told Telemundo that after attending an immigration appointment on Thursday, upon leaving, Daniel was detained by ICE agents, who handcuffed him and took him away without providing any answers. "Life changes in a matter of seconds," said the young woman, still in shock from the incident.
They both worked and had managed to settle in Miami: he as a pet stylist and she as a digital creator and entrepreneur, leading her brand Eternal Jewelry.
Belixa's initial report about her husband's detention was made via social media, where she appeared in tears explaining that her husband was arrested "as if he were a criminal," despite not even having a parking ticket in the United States.
“I am making this video outside the immigration court here in Miami because my husband has just been taken into custody,” she then said, calling for support from the Cuban community and stating that she was unaware of the reasons for the detention.
The Cuban woman recalled that they have both worked tirelessly since arriving in the country and even opened a business together. “The only thing we have done since day one is work, doing everything right for this country to get ahead,” she stated in her public complaint.
The case of Daniel occurs amidst reports indicating an increase in the arrest of immigrants with no criminal records. According to data cited by NBC and Telemundo, ICE has recently detained nearly 75,000 people with no criminal history, a figure that raises concerns among those holding an I-220A and maintaining open asylum processes.
“I'm just asking for justice to be served, so we can continue together outside, because he is giving everything in this country, working and doing things right. We only came to move forward, escaping a horrible regime,” Belixa told Telemundo 51.
The Cuban community remains vigilant regarding the case, a symbol of the growing fear that a simple immigration appointment could end in a center known for being surrounded by crocodiles and reports of mistreatment.
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