The Cuban broadcaster and presenter Frank Abel Gómez Bernal spoke from the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, where he is being held under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with a potential deportation to Cuba on the horizon.
In the message, addressed directly to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Frank Abel spoke on behalf of himself and four other Cubans whose names he mentioned.
The speaker requested clemency for Cubans detained with open deportation proceedings, particularly for the beneficiaries of the I-220A document, and condemned the sanitary and nutritional conditions of the center where they are held.
The direct call to Marco Rubio
From the very first second of the video, Frank Abel appealed to the Cuban roots of the Secretary of State.
“Do you not remember your parents' roots? Do you recall why you are in that government position at this moment?”, he questioned after introducing himself and mentioning the names of those who support him in the complaint.
“Did your parents, when they came from Cuba and embraced this great nation, not have the opportunity to become legal residents in the United States? Why are we being sent back to Cuba? We are at risk of being imprisoned, and we are also at risk of being mistreated by State Security,” he added.
The conditions of the detention center
Frank Abel dedicated part of the video to denouncing the precarious conditions of the facility where he is incarcerated.
“Here we are at Blue Bunny Detention Center, a place where we do not receive the necessary medical attention and have seen cases of people with chronic illnesses being mistreated. We are also subjected to an unbalanced diet and a food service that leaves much to be desired, which will soon send us not only to health institutions but also to suffer from illnesses,” he reported.
Another central argument of the message is that immigration judges do not apply the legislation that should protect Cubans in their situation
"Without any mercy, the immigration judges, and of course the prosecution, do not take our Cuban Adjustment Act into account, nor do they show any consideration for the dictatorship that has prevailed in Cuba for over 60 years and that you all want to overthrow."
"We are on land of freedom. Help."
The video ended with an urgent call that captures the communicator's distress:
“Please, this call is for you, Marco Rubio. Help us, do not allow them to continue deporting Cubans who have only come to this country to work, because we do not even have a criminal record.”, he pleaded.
"From Anson, Texas, this is Frank Abel, together with all Cubans, to say, we are in the land of freedom. Help," he concluded.
The I-220A is a supervised release order that does not equate to parole, does not grant permanent residency, and does not allow for eligibility under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
It is estimated that between 400,000 and 500,000 Cubans find themselves in that legal limbo in the United States.
A case that has dragged on for months of uncertainty
Frank Abel arrived in the United States in January 2022 after leaving an artistic tour, entering through the southern border with Mexico, where he was a prominent figure in Cuban government radio and television with programs such as "El Exitazo" on Radio Taíno.
In June 2025, he received a deportation notice because his political asylum application in Tampa was unsuccessful.
The arrest in Oklahoma County in December 2025 -following a traffic violation that resulted in four charges, including resisting arrest- ended up triggering the immigration process against him.
Finally, on December 20, he was handed over to ICE by the Oklahoma police.
The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is currently reviewing the legal status of the I-220A, which could change the situation for hundreds of thousands of people.
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