A Cuban mother intervened in the weekly program hosted by Immigration lawyer Willy Allen on CiberCuba, which is led by Tania Costa. She did so to seek assistance with her son's case, an Uber driver, who is detained at the Montgomery ICE Processing Center in Texas, at a time when the legal environment for immigrants in that jurisdiction is particularly hostile.
"I am his mother, and I’m writing from Cuba. I have had to make an effort with the family to pay the lawyer," she wrote during the program, where immigration lawyer Willy Allen was answering questions from the audience about cases involving Cubans in the United States.
Allen went straight to outlining the legal landscape his son faces: "Texas is the fifth district, and right now, habeas corpus cases in Texas and Louisiana are miserable."
The lawyer explained that many judges of the Fifth Circuit are sending habeas corpus petitions to the full panel of judges, which complicates and prolongs the individual cases of the detainees in that region.
When the mother of the detained young man asked what she could do, Allen replied that the key lies with the already hired professional. "The lawyer has to fight for it now."
According to the mother, in statements to CiberCuba, her son, Frank Yanuyr Arzuaga-Castellón, was arrested while transporting a passenger from an airport to a military base in Austin, Texas. She did not specify the circumstances of the arrest or the reasons given by the authorities.
The young man remains in immigration custody, according to his mother's testimony, who claims that her son has fulfilled his obligations in the United States.
"I am desperate. My son is practically alone," said the woman, who is following this situation from Cuba.
The family has had to raise money to hire a lawyer to file a habeas corpus petition, a legal action through which the lawfulness of a detention can be challenged.
The mother also explained that both she and the detainee's siblings, who reside in Cuba, have sent money to cover legal services. The funds have been channeled through a paternal aunt of the young man who lives in Miami.
The case reflects the uncertainty faced by numerous Cuban immigrants with I-220A in the United States, a document of release on parole that, on its own, does not equate to a migration parole.
At the moment, the charges or legal grounds for the arrest are not known, nor is it clear whether the lawyer has already filed the legal appeal.
While waiting for news, the mother continues to seek help from Cuba for her son, who remains detained hundreds of kilometers away from his closest relatives.
This case reflects a reality that affects numerous Cuban families. Texas belongs to the Fifth Federal Circuit—along with Louisiana and Mississippi—a jurisdiction that has historically adopted more restrictive stances on immigration matters. In February 2026, the ruling Buenrostro-Mendez v. Bondi established that migrants without formal admission may be subject to mandatory detention without an automatic right to a bail hearing, which has made it particularly difficult to obtain freedom through habeas corpus in that region.
In parallel, 992 Cubans with I-220A forms are fighting their own legal battle before federal judge Jacqueline Becerra in the Southern District of Florida. The United States government filed a new motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit on October 9, claiming a lack of jurisdiction and legally insufficient claims. The plaintiffs have until October 23 to respond to the government's new motion.
Regarding that case, Allen expressed cautious optimism. "I have hope," he said while referring to Judge Becerra's pending decision.
El caso de este joven cubano detenido en Texas refleja la compleja situación legal que enfrentan muchos inmigrantes en Estados Unidos. Sigue toda la actualidad sobre detenciones, deportaciones y derechos migratorios en nuestra sección de
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