After more than nine months in immigration custody in Arizona, the Cuban Julia Benítez Pérez, 79 years old and known as “The Grandma” within the Eloy detention center, regained her freedom this Thursday.
Her release ended a confinement that drew media attention due to her advanced age and the signs of senile dementia that, according to her family, worsened during her detention.
Upon reuniting with the outside world, Julia summed up the moment -in statements to Telemundo Arizona- with a phrase full of relief: "Well, just imagine, after nearly a year of being locked up there, I feel very good."
He also showed the consequences of his cognitive state by admitting: “I momentarily forget things.”
So far, there has been no official information regarding the specific reason for their release.
From South Florida, her daughter Dayana Cosme Benítez has been following the case for all these months.
In a phone interview with Telemundo Arizona after hearing the news, she described what that moment meant for both of them: “She came out and feels that freedom like the biggest thing in her life. She feels that as the greatest gift that God has given to her and to me.”
Moved, she added, addressing her mother: "Give God many thanks today for this."
A detention that lasted despite his age
Julia entered the United States in May 2025 through the Lukeville Port of Entry in Arizona, where she applied for political asylum after leaving Cuba.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she was arrested on May 8 near that area for having crossed the border "illegally" and was taken into custody on May 10.
The family initially thought that, due to her advanced age and medical condition, she could go through the immigration process in freedom alongside her daughter in Florida.
“I thought there would be more flexibility during the process and they would let her be with me, but that was not the case,” her daughter stated in a prior interview with Telemundo Arizona.
However, an immigration judge denied her the opportunity for a bond hearing, considering that she was subject to mandatory detention after entering without formal authorization.
The deterioration during confinement
One of the most painful aspects of the case was the elderly woman's cognitive state. According to her daughter, there are medical reports issued in Cuba that already indicated signs of senile dementia, but the deterioration became more evident during her detention.
"As long as I have strength, I will continue to instill hope in her. I can't make her feel sad. She can't feel her daughter is sad, otherwise, she will crumble."
In those conversations, Julia sometimes seemed disoriented. "Once she asked me if we were in a province in Cuba, and I told her: no, no, we're here," her daughter recounted. At other times, she simply asked when they would release her.
The newspaper Arizona Daily Star reported that the elderly woman spent much of her time in a wheelchair that she hadn't needed before her arrest, and that other detainees helped her move around and connect with her family via video call. In the Eloy center—located about 50 miles northwest of Tucson—she was known as "The Grandma."
Political attention and ICE response
The case caught the attention of Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, who visited Julia at the detention center. “She is extremely confused; she thought we were going to take her home,” she told Telemundo Arizona, her voice trembling.
In another statement, she added: “It was heartbreaking because, as we were leaving, she thought we were there to take her home. For me, I can’t imagine what her family is going through, as they cannot come to see her here.”
For its part, ICE defended the medical treatment provided in its facilities. In statements sent to Telemundo, the agency stated: “It is an established practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an undocumented foreign national enters ICE custody.”
This includes medical, dental, and mental health evaluations within the first 12 hours of their arrival at each detention center, a comprehensive health assessment within 14 days of their admission or arrival at a facility, as well as access to medical appointments and emergency care 24 hours a day.” She added that Julia “is not the exception.”
A past that marked his asylum application
Julia's story is also marked by a tragic event that occurred in 1991, when her husband, Daniel Cosme Ramos, was murdered by Cuban border guards as he attempted to escape the island by sea, in a case documented as enforced disappearance. After publicly reporting what happened, the family claims to have suffered surveillance, harassment, and discrimination in Cuba, elements that are part of their asylum request.
What began as a request for protection ended up turning into more than nine months of confinement for a 79-year-old woman with memory issues.
Now, free at last, her testimony is brief but powerful: after nearly a year of confinement, she says she feels "very well." For her daughter, who held onto hope from a distance, this release represents — in her own words — “the greatest gift that God has given her."
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