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After 80 days in custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the young Cuban Daniel Alejandro Escobar Rodríguez was reunited with his family in the United States.
His case, which began with an unexpected arrest following a routine immigration appointment, concluded with a legal victory that offers hope to other migrants with form I-220A who have been detained in recent months.
The Univision journalist Javier Díaz reported that Escobar, holder of I-220A, "had been detained by ICE for 80 days" and was finally released to reunite with his loved ones.
The young man had been arrested on December 4, 2025, after attending what was supposed to be a routine immigration procedure.
"We won the Habeas Corpus."
The key to his release was a federal lawsuit. As his wife outlined on social media, the legal team filed a habeas corpus petition to challenge the legality of the detention.
“We filed a federal lawsuit, and in less than 15 days, we won the habeas corpus; the detention was illegal and arbitrary, and in less than 10 days, we won the bail,” wrote his partner, who also publicly thanked those who were concerned about the young man.
"Along the way, there were obstacles, but our lawyer overcame each and every one of them with the help of God, and on Saturday, February 21, at 4:30 p.m., after 80 days of being detained, after going through Alligator Alcatraz, Louisiana, Texas, and Krome, my husband Daniel was released," adds the message from the wife, as reported by the journalist.
The habeas corpus appeal allowed the defense to argue before a federal court that the detention lacked sufficient legal grounds. Within weeks, the court ruled in favor of Escobar, ordering his release on bail.
Although he is now free, his immigration process is not over. Like thousands of Cubans with I-220A, he still faces a complicated path to try to regularize his status.
From a routine appointment to "Alligator Alcatraz"
Daniel's arrest sparked outrage from the very beginning. His wife, Belixa De La Caridad Cubena Ramírez, publicly reported that the young man was detained after leaving an immigration appointment in Miami.
According to what he told Telemundo 51, ICE agents handcuffed him and took him away without providing clear explanations. Daniel, 25, had no criminal record.
"They won't even let him take a shower," Belixa reported when she learned that he had been transferred to the detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz," a complex surrounded by swamps and criticized by relatives of detainees for its harsh conditions.
The couple arrived in the United States in 2022. Daniel worked as a pet stylist and Belixa as a digital creator and entrepreneur with her brand Eternal Jewelry.
"The only thing we have done since day one is work, to do everything right for this country to get ahead," she expressed in a video recorded in tears outside the immigration court in Miami. "My husband has just been taken away as if he were a criminal."
The limbo of I-220A
The Escobar case brought attention back to the situation of Cuban migrants released with I-220A. This document does not equate to a parole, as immigration lawyers have explained, which leaves its holders in a vulnerable legal position despite not having any criminal records.
In recent months, local media have reported an increase in the arrests of immigrants with no criminal history, with tens of thousands of people detained across the country, causing fear among those with open asylum cases.
Today, after nearly three months of uncertainty and transfers between centers in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, Daniel is free. His wife sent a message of encouragement to other Cubans in similar situations: strength to all those with I-220A who are waiting for permanent residency.
His case demonstrates that, although the path may be long and fraught with obstacles, the judicial route - including habeas corpus - can become a decisive tool against detentions that the defense deems "illegal and arbitrary."
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