Norge Rodríguez Vergés, a Cuban human rights activist and former political prisoner, has been held for nearly 10 months at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Pompano Beach, Florida, while his family launches an urgent public campaign to demand his release and prevent him from being deported to a third country.
From inside the Broward Transitional Center, Rodríguez Vergés recorded a video in which he breaks the silence and directly appeals to Cuban exile organizations in Miami, to congress members, and to authorities of the State Department.
"Through this medium, I am asking for help from Cuban exile organizations, political figures, influencers, members of Congress, the relevant authorities, the Department of State, and ICE itself, so that my case may be acknowledged," he said in a measured voice.
The activist described a path marked by the repression of the Cuban regime. He was sentenced in 1996 to 10 years in prison on charges of terrorism—which he qualifies as a strictly political punishment—and served six years.
Later, between 2014 and 2019, he served as a delegate for the province of Las Tunas for Cuba Independiente y Democrática, an opposition organization founded in 1980.
According to his account, the State's repressive apparatus "exiled" him from the island in 2019, and while he was emigrating, his wife was physically attacked by a Cuban security agent during a repudiation act in front of their home.
ICE arrested him on October 4, 2025, through its Fugitive Operations Unit, and in June 2026, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal. However, his defense and the government prosecutor reached an agreement to grant him protection under the Convention Against Torture, which prevents his direct deportation to Cuba.
This protection, however, does not guarantee his freedom nor does it prevent a transfer to a third country. ICE retains the discretionary authority to relocate him to another nation or to keep him in custody indefinitely.
It is precisely that scenario that terrifies his family, which launched the campaign #LibertadParaNorge on social media tagging Secretary of State Marco Rubio, representatives Mario Díaz-Balart and María Elvira Salazar, and other political figures.
Rodríguez Vergés' criminal record includes traffic violations, including reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, factors that complicated his legal situation.
His asylum case was closed administratively, but a judge ordered it to be reopened as the permanent residence he had applied for under the Cuban Adjustment Act had not been finalized.
A case with similarities to yours had a different outcome: the Cuban opposition figure Elionay González Crespo was released by ICE in April 2026 after also being detained for nearly 10 months.
"It is very sad that I had to leave my country to fight for its freedom, only to arrive in the so-called land of freedom and spend the last 10 months confined while fighting for my own freedom," concluded Rodríguez Vergés in his testimony.
In August 2026, ICE deported several Cubans to Liberia and Equatorial Guinea as third countries, raising alarm in the exile community. One of these cases involves a Cuban with severe health issues sent to Equatorial Guinea despite his medical condition.
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