The independent Cuban journalist Yosmany Mayeta broke down in tears of joy this Wednesday upon learning that the U.S. Immigration Court completely dismissed the charges against him, eliminating any deportation orders and paving the way for his permanent residency.
In an interview with Tania Costa, Mayeta acknowledged that she felt fear throughout the entire process, but emphasized that she never gave in to despair: "The fear never goes away, but what I never lost were my hopes and faith," convinced that she has "the best lawyers."
The journalist dedicated his opening words to the architects of the victory: the lawyers Liudmila Marcelo and Yelena Guerra, who took on their defense completely free of charge just a month before the crucial hearing. “Liudmila Marcelo and Yelena Guerra are the reason we won today, that I, along with them, won this case,” he stated.
Mayeta did not hide the extent of her gratitude: "Of course, I am indebted for life. And we won't let go until citizenship; we already told you." The promise was straightforward: the lawyers who accompanied her during the most critical moment will follow through to the end of the immigration process.
The key to victory arrived just hours before the hearing. On June 30, at 1:20 PM, the Department of State issued the waiver that confirmed the risk of persecution Mayeta would face if he returned to Cuba. Without that document, the case would have had a very different outcome. "Yesterday at 1:20 PM, we finally received this approval so that today we can wrap up this Court," the journalist explained.
The lawyers Marcelo and Guerra achieved the dismissal of all charges by the judge, a greater victory than they had anticipated: as if the process had never existed.
Yelena Guerra revealed that the prosecutor, who began the hearing with a friendly attitude, adopted an aggressive stance as soon as the judge took her seat, but both lawyers had been prepared for that scenario since early in the morning.
Mayeta also thanked José Daniel Ferrer, leader of UNPACU, Tania Costa, Ernesto Morales, CiberCuba, and all the supporters who accompanied him with prayers and messages of support. He even had words for those who wished for his deportation: "If you were waiting for the deportation to Cuba, well, it will have to be in another life."
The journalist, a member of the UNPACU who faced a seven-year legal limbo, had publicly warned that a deportation would mean his immediate imprisonment in Cuba due to his history of activism and denunciations against the regime. He arrived in the United States in 2019 with a J-1 visa obtained through a journalism scholarship, a category that required a waiver from the Department of State in order to qualify for the Cuban Adjustment Act, a process that was never completed on time.
In light of the impending hearing, Mayeta urgently appealed for help from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Cuban-American congress members Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar, and Carlos Giménez. The judge had denied a motion for postponement presented by the lawyers on June 19, setting the hearing in stone for this Wednesday.
Mayeta concluded her remarks with a reflection on the purpose she feels in her life: "If God placed me here in 2019, it's because He has a purpose. I still don't know what it is, but I am sure that very soon I will know what God's purpose is for me to be here in the United States."
Filed under: