The immigration attorney Liudmila Marcelo issued a direct warning to holders of the I-220A form as summer approaches: do not travel within the United States, especially to destinations like Puerto Rico or Hawaii.
Marcelo made this recommendation during an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, where he answered audience questions about specific immigration situations in the current context of tightening immigration policies.
"If you have an I-220A, I don't recommend even traveling within the country, let alone to Puerto Rico or Hawaii, which many clients have asked me about," stated the lawyer.
Marcelo was careful to clarify that her warning does not equate to a certainty of arrest. "It's not that I'm saying if you travel, you will be arrested because you indeed travel, and it may not happen to you, but you will never hear me say travel, as everything is calm," she noted.
The risk, he explained, lies in the unpredictability of ICE operations. "You don't know among all those traveling that day who they will want to detain or at which airport they will be. Therefore, that advice will not come from me," he emphasized.
The lawyer acknowledged valid exceptions: those who must travel to another state for a court appointment or those who need to visit a sick family member. However, she was firm regarding leisure travel.
"For vacations, I wouldn't recommend it. I'm not trying to scare anyone; I'm not saying that everyone who travels gets stopped, because that's not the case."
This warning comes at a time when ICE has set a goal of 2,000 daily detentions by July 2026, exceeding 10,000 arrests in just five days, with a direct impact on Florida and the Cuban community.
The I-220A is a release order under self-recognition issued by ICE to individuals in removal proceedings; it does not grant permanent immigration status or full protection against detention.
Marcelo also warned permanent residents planning to travel abroad. "Remember that you cannot travel outside the country if you have a pending case or even a case that has already been closed. If you have any criminal record, keep in mind that a recent decision stated that even with a case still pending, without having proven whether you are guilty or not, they can then revoke your residency or initiate a process to take it away," he cautioned.
In another part of the conversation, the attorney responded to a viewer using CBP ONE who asked whether a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act request) could include data about their entry into the U.S. and previous visas. Marcelo explained that when submitting that request, it’s possible to specify exactly what documents are desired. “When you apply for the FOIA, make sure to select carefully the items you want to be included, and it will provide you with a box to specifically write down what you are looking for,” he indicated.
He clarified that this documentation is usually found at the National Visa Center and not at USCIS, but he recommended requesting it anyway.
Regarding the FOIA, Marcelo reiterated his general recommendation: "I recommend that everyone request their FOIA. If you have a copy of your residence and a copy of your asylum, there’s no problem because you already have them, but if you don’t have them, you should obtain a copy because there may be some contradictions in one of the two applications, and that could lead to a problem."
The attorney has achieved significant legal victories for Cubans with I-220A in 2026: in May, a judge in Orlando granted residency to a Cuban with that document interpreting it as a valid parole under the Cuban Adjustment Act, and that same month a Cuban woman with I-220A obtained her residency in record time. However, the overall situation for this community remains highly uncertain, and the attorney also noted in June about the mass advancement of hearing dates without prior notice, recommending checking the system twice a week.
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