Related videos:
Eddie Gattorno, a Cuban by birth who has lived in the United States for more than fifty years, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine check-in appointment, leaving his family without answers regarding their future.
Her daughter, Danielle Gattorno, known as Danielle Anguiano by her married name, reported the case on Monday on Facebook with a message that summarizes the harshness of the situation: "Two weeks ago, my dad and I were dancing at my wedding. Today he is detained in an ICE detention center that is notorious for violating basic human rights."
Eddie Gattorno arrived in the United States as a child, after his parents sacrificed everything to give him a better life. He has a social security number, a driver's license, and has worked and paid taxes for decades, his daughter mentions.
Danielle acknowledges that her father "has made mistakes in his life," but she points out that cases like her family's are part of a broader pattern. According to her complaint, ICE organizes ambushes during these appointments, with no access to lawyers, trapping individuals who have deep roots in the country for decades.
In the United States, cases like this are not uncommon within the immigration system. Even if a person has lived legally for decades, has a social security number, and has worked and paid taxes, they can still be subject to deportation under certain conditions if they are not a U.S. citizen.
Many migrants, including Cubans, remain for years under supervision orders, which require them to report periodically to immigration authorities. In such cases, detention can occur even without new offenses, either due to administrative decisions, file reviews, or the existence of prior immigration proceedings.
Furthermore, the situation of Cuban nationals adds an element of uncertainty, as their deportation does not always directly lead to the island, but this does not prevent them from being detained while their future is determined. Although Cuba historically did not accept deportation flights, the Trump administration has managed to coordinate at least one per month, and there is also the possibility of being deported to a third country with which the United States has agreements.
The figures reveal the magnitude of the phenomenon. According to recent data, there has been a 2,450% increase in arrests of immigrants without criminal records, indicating that the profile of those detained has changed drastically under the current administration.
Conditions within detention centers have also come under scrutiny. Official reports document over 1,000 credible reports of abuse between January 2025 and early 2026, including allegations of physical mistreatment and denial of medical care.
This is compounded by deaths in custody, with at least 14 reported in the early months of 2026.
The case of Eddie Gattorno is part of a migration crisis that affects the entire Cuban community in the United States, where more than 42,000 Cubans have final deportation orders, many of whom have decades of legal residency in the country and families fully integrated into American society.
Filed under: