The Cuban pianist Andy García Palacios was released on bail after nearly a month in custody at the Immigration Processing Center in Adelanto, California, as confirmed by his attorney Avelino González to journalist Maylin Legañoa from Telemundo 51, who shared the news this Friday as breaking information.
At the time of the report, neither the musician himself nor his family had announced the news on social media, but the legal representative of the pianist confirmed the release.
Andy García Palacios was arrested by ICE agents on August 15 at Los Angeles International Airport while returning from a performance in that city.
According to his attorney, the musician entered the United States on a tourist visa and remained in the country while processing a political asylum application, a process that is still pending resolution.
ICE, for its part, stated that the pianist's authorization to remain in U.S. territory had expired on May 27, 2024, which means he is facing a removal process.
After the arrest, his brother Yandy García launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe from Miami with a goal of $45,000 to cover legal expenses.
As of August 21, the initiative had raised over $40,000 with nearly 600 donors. Comedian Carnota and singer Diana Fuentes also publicly joined the call for solidarity.
The legendary pianist Chucho Valdés publicly lamented the arrest of Andy García Palacios on August 23, and in the past, he had described him as "the best pianist of the new Cuban generation."
The release of Andy García Palacios marks the end of a chapter in a summer characterized by the arrests of Cuban artists.
The percussionist Degnis Bofill, a Latin Grammy winner, had been arrested on August 19 at Miami Airport and released on September 3 after more than two weeks at the Krome North Processing Center. After his release, Bofill publicly shared the GoFundMe campaign of Andy García Palacios, who was still detained at that time.
Journalist Legañoa summarized the situation: "With this release, the two Cuban musicians who had been detained by ICE agents are now free on bail, awaiting their immigration proceedings."
Both cases reflect an unprecedented tightening of U.S. immigration policy that has severely impacted the Cuban community.
According to data from the Cato Institute cited in April 2026, the detention of Cubans by ICE increased by 463% from late 2024 to early 2026, and more than 42,000 Cubans have pending final deportation orders in U.S. territory.
El caso de Andy García Palacios es uno de los tantos que involucran a cubanos detenidos por ICE en Estados Unidos. Sigue todos los detalles y novedades sobre estos procesos en nuestra sección de
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