A Cuban permanent resident in the United States recounted the fear she experienced with her husband upon returning from Cuba, after immigration agents at Miami International Airport sent the man for secondary inspection, known among Cubans as "the little room."
Yamyjavi Caldes shared in a video posted on Facebook that it all started when she and her husband, Javier, separated from the line of passengers for their flight to go to the restroom and ended up in a different line at immigration control.
From there, they watched as two more Cubans were taken for an additional search, which heightened their concern.
"We were scared, even though we are residents, as I have been in this country for almost five years and my husband for twelve, we thought it could happen to us," she confessed.
When it was their turn, an officer asked them where they were coming from, the purpose of their trip, and if they were carrying tobacco, alcohol, or other products.
Although Yamyjavi was returned her passport and residence card, her husband was not given his passport. The official filled out some paperwork, called for another agent, and both were taken to the secondary inspection area.
According to the explanation, the agent asked her husband where he lived and what the last four digits of his Social Security number were. After hearing the answer, he asked if he was sure and whether he had the document with him. Javier confirmed that the numbers were correct and, although he didn’t have the document, he offered to recite the complete number from memory.
After approximately five minutes of checks on a computer, the officer concluded the review with a "Welcome to Miami."
Although they were finally able to enter the United States, Yamyjavi wanted to share their experience to warn others who are planning to travel abroad.
“Gentlemen, they are confirming that your residency is in order, that you don’t have any issues in the country, and they are not concerned about how long you have been here, because notice that he has been here for 12 years,” he stated, according to his interpretation of what happened.
The woman emphasized that those planning to travel should be aware of their legal status in the United States and check if they have any pending legal issues.
The experience recalls other episodes reported by Cubans at Miami airport. In July, influencer La Damosky shared that she was held for nearly three hours, subjected to multiple interrogations and temporarily stripped of her documents while the agents reviewed her travels.
In August 2025, a couple of Cuban residents was sent for secondary inspection after returning from Cuba and, according to the testimony shared at that time, they received a summons to appear before an immigration judge.
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may refer travelers to a secondary inspection to verify documents, clarify information, or conduct additional checks, even without any suspicion of a violation.
Therefore, being sent to the "cuartico" does not necessarily mean that there is a migration issue or that the person will lose their permanent residency, as demonstrated by the experience shared by Yamyjavi and her husband.
Los controles migratorios en aeropuertos y fronteras siguen generando incertidumbre para muchos residentes. Mantente informado sobre todo lo que ocurre en y conoce tus derechos antes de viajar.
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