A Cuban in the United States shared on Instagram the full account of her experiences before and after attending her annual appointment with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), generating a wave of solidarity among thousands of fellow nationals facing the same uncertainty.
Leyla González, who entered the United States through the border in 2021 and holds the I-220A document, shared in the first video the night before her appointment. In a calm and sincere voice, she admitted something that hadn't happened to her in years of incident-free appointments: "Nothing has ever happened to me. But this year I have to admit that I am too nervous."
The influencer explained that she decided to make the recording precisely because she knew she was not alone: "I know that many of you might feel the same way and can relate to my situation because you are going through the same thing as I am."
El caso de Leyla es uno de los muchos que enfrentan cubanos con I-220A en EE.UU. Sigue toda la información sobre citas con ICE, formularios migratorios y novedades en
That first video amassed more than 326,000 views, a testament to the significant resonance this situation has among the Cuban community in exile.
After the appointment, Leyla posted a second video to thank the massive support received on social media and described in detail what happened inside the ICE office.
He arrived at 7:45 am for a scheduled appointment at 8:00 am and already found a long line outside. Upon entering, the first thing he noticed was the separation: "They divided the Cubans into one line and the other nationalities into another line. Then the other nationalities were called forward, but the Cubans were not."
Finally, all the documents of the Cubans present were collected, and they were moved to another waiting area. There they remained for hours without any information until an officer began to call each person individually to hand them their document with the results.
When it was Leyla's turn, the outcome was the best possible: "They handed me my document and gave me a spot for next year, on this same date next year. I didn't see any arrests, I didn't see anyone being taken away." she expressed.
He did observe, however, something that reflects the tension of the current migration moment: "There were many Cubans in shackles, that's for sure. Not only Cubans, but also people from other nationalities—Venezuelans, Nicaraguans; many people in shackles."
The young woman concluded her narrative with a direct message to those still waiting for their turn: "If you are waiting for your ICE appointment, I wish you the best of luck and send you a big kiss, because I know what it feels like."
The testimony is being shared at a time of great uncertainty for I-220A holders. In 2026, appointments with ICE have yielded very mixed results: some Cubans leave without incident, while others have received deportation orders or have been subjected to expedited removal after appearing.
The I-220A is a supervision release order that allows individuals to remain out of custody while their immigration case is still ongoing, but it does not equate to parole nor does it grant permanent immigration status, leaving hundreds of thousands of Cubans in legal limbo.
Last week it was revealed that a lawsuit in Miami could pave the way for residency for holders of the I-220A: federal judge Jacqueline Becerra dismissed the government's attempt to dismiss the Bello-Rubio vs. DHS lawsuit, filed by 992 Cubans, which seeks to have the I-220A recognized as a parole to access residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act. If successful, the case could benefit between 500,000 and 600,000 Cubans.
Filed under: