A Cuban who arrived in the United States at the age of just one has been deported to Mexico after living in U.S. territory for more than four decades.
The case was revealed in an interview with Raúl Hernández, who documents similar stories of detained or expelled migrants on Instagram.
In the dialogue, the man explained that he was a legal permanent resident, but lost that status due to a crime he committed and did not elaborate on.
The interviewee acknowledged that a deportation order had been pending against him since 2000.
However, he assured that since then he has rebuilt his life in the United States.
“Since that year, I became an integral member of society, with a job and everything”, he stated.
He did not specify what the crime was—which the interviewer described as a "crime"—nor did he clarify whether he served a prison sentence. This omission has since become one of the most questioned points by users on social media.
Arrest after appearing before ICE
According to the testimony of the deported Cuban, on December 5, 2025, he reported to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office as part of his pending immigration process. At that moment, he was detained.
He reported that he spent 66 days in a detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz."
He was subsequently transferred to other centers until he was taken to Chihuahua, now in Mexican territory.
While in Chihuahua, he recounted that an immigration officer asked them if they wished to be deported to Cuba. "Everyone in my group said no," he stated.
He noted that in this context there were calls made by family members reporting alleged kidnappings, although he did not provide additional details.
After that process, the group was taken to Tapachula, in southern Mexico, where they were finally released.
The Cuban then decided to move to the southeast of the country, and he settled in Cancun, where he claims to have achieved greater stability.
"One walks much better here than over there," he said in reference to his experience in Tapachula, a border city with Guatemala where thousands of migrants tend to gather while waiting for paperwork or permits.
Although his current situation in Mexico was not discussed in depth, the Cuban implied that he is trying to start over after the deportation.
Controversy on social media: The crime that was not mentioned
The publication of the case sparked a strong controversy in the comments section. Numerous Cubans questioned the lack of information about the crime that led to the loss of their residency and the deportation order.
"It’s incredible that every case that comes out here, absolutely all of them have committed a crime, and none, despite the time they lived in the United States, were able to become citizens… they should focus more on the crimes committed so that people can learn from the mistakes," wrote a user.
Another user commented: “Surely a crime because it wasn't for nothing.”
Meanwhile, a commentator noted: “When doing a report, it is important to provide complete information. What crime was committed? Why, after so many years in the United States, has he not become a citizen of the country? In the end, I can't form an opinion because the lack of information is evident.”
The question was repeated dozens of times: “What crime did he commit?”, “What was his crime that cost him his residency?”, “The magic words are... he committed a crime,” others expressed.
Some defended the strict enforcement of immigration law.
“In the USA, there is no time for games. If you do something wrong, there are consequences. Especially for immigrants,” stated a user.
Another added: “License, residency, and citizenship are not rights in this country; they are privileges that are granted and can be taken away if you do something wrong.”
There were also political criticisms and harsher comments, including those who asserted that the deportation is a consequence of the support from the Cuban community for more restrictive immigration policies.
Others questioned why Mexico accepts people with criminal records instead of sending them directly to Cuba.
The testimony reopens the debate on the immigration consequences of criminal records in the United States, even for those who have spent nearly their entire lives in the country.
In the U.S. immigration system, certain offenses can lead to the revocation of permanent residency and trigger deportation orders, even decades after they have been issued, if the individual does not regularize their status or obtain some form of legal relief.
On February 9, the Cuban regime received a flight from ICE Air with 170 undocumented Cuban immigrants deported from the United States.
This is the first deportation flight to Cuba in 2026, which—according to information from the U.S. government—this time included individuals with convictions for serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.
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