A Cuban resident in Miami shared on Tuesday on TikTok his experience after attending his third and final hearing in an immigration court with I-220A status: the judge dismissed his request for residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act and issued a deportation order without allowing him to present his political asylum case.
Alexander Martínez Sarmiento reported that the judge only asked yes or no questions before making his decision, without giving the opportunity for his lawyer, who had prepared the case file in record time, to speak.
“The judge dismissed the residency request we made to the court, and just when we thought he was going to allow us to defend our political asylum, he didn’t even let us speak. He only asked yes or no questions, dismissed the case, and issued a deportation order,” he explained in the video.
What frustrated Martínez Sarmiento the most was not the decision itself, but the time and money invested in a process whose outcome, he claims, was already predetermined.
"The judge's decision doesn't really bother me; what bothers me is why you make me waste my time and money," he stated, adding, "If you already know the decision you're going to make, why not just send me the deportation letter by mail and be done with it?"
The Cuban detailed that the residency application cost him $3,000, plus an additional $1,000 in appeals, not including his lawyer's fees.
The situation became even more complicated as the court date was moved up from 2027 to 2026 with only a month's notice, which forced their legal representative to prepare over 200 motions in record time for the document package to be accepted.
"My lawyer died working on the case quickly because they changed my court date; it was set for 2027 but they moved it to 2026, and they only notified me a month in advance," he recounted.
The testimony reflects a reality that affects hundreds of Cubans with I-220A in 2026: immigration courts have massively moved up hearings that were scheduled for 2028 or 2029, now set for June and July of this year, leaving migrants little time to prepare their defense.
The I-220A is a form of supervised release by ICE that does not equate to parole or a formal admission into the country, preventing its holders from automatically accessing the Cuban Adjustment Act. Martínez Sarmiento recalled that since he crossed the border, the ICE officer himself warned him: "This paper we are giving you is an order of expulsion from the country, but we are going to release you on your own recognizance."
The author of the video clarified that the deportation order can be appealed, which prolongs the process and allows for a longer stay in the United States, although he warned his fellow citizens against getting their hopes up.
"The immigration courts are not governed by the law; they are governed by money, plain and simple: the more money you spend, the more favorable it is for them," he stated.
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