The Cuban Yeni Triana, who was detained under the I-220A immigration status in Houston, Texas, was released after spending three months and one day in custody, following a judge setting a bail of $25,000.
According to his husband, Aramís Reyes, in social media posts, the outing was a moment of relief after weeks of anguish.
He stated that the case progressed after filing a habeas corpus (a federal petition) which, he claims, a federal judge reviewed the legality of the detention and determined that it was not a mandatory detention and that Triana had the right to a bail hearing.
In a message dated December 18, 2025, Reyes stated that it had been three months since the detention of his wife and that the experience was not "that bad" nor easy to overcome.
He stated that they have been together for over 15 years, that they worked and had created a company, and that even so they felt that they wanted to “get them out” of the country “as if they were worth nothing.”
He also expressed his outrage by comparing the case to criminal situations: he asserted that while individuals accused of serious crimes can obtain bail, his wife —whose “offense,” according to him, was crossing a border and then leading her life in the United States— was initially denied that right.
The release and the "record" bail of $25,000
One day later, on December 19, Reyes published a text celebrating the return home "together" and, in another message, confirmed the release.
“My wife just got out… three months and one day in detention.” He indicated that he could not go personally to pick her up and that he was told it had to be done by a citizen or resident, so a relative went instead.
Regarding the bail, Reyes stated that the amount was 25,000 dollars, despite the fact that —according to his account— Triana has no prior records or “any crime.”
She added that on that day, other people arrested with her left with $12,000, and she said that at that center (mentioning Houston) the highest amount she knew of was $20,000, which is why she called her husband's amount an "absolute record."
To gather the money, she explained that they turned to family support and considered options like bond company and personal loans; she even mentioned that she thought about selling trucks, but they ultimately managed to solve it "together".
In a later explanation, Reyes stated that habeas corpus is a federal demand that is filed when the government keeps a person detained "without a clear legal basis or due process."
He emphasized that this is not a common immigration procedure nor an administrative request, but rather going before a federal judge to determine whether the detention is legal.
According to his version, the appeal does not guarantee automatic release, but forces the government to justify the detention and, when they cannot substantiate it, “things start to change.”
He also described it as a "complex" process and stated that several lawyers told him they could not handle that procedure.
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