A 41-year-old Cuban man, who according to his wife suffers from uncontrolled diabetes and acute pancreatitis, could be deported in the coming days from Miami to an African country with which he has no connection, despite his delicate health condition.
This is about Noslén Sendra, who has been detained since November 2025 and is currently held at the Krome North detention center. His case was highlighted during a press conference by the group Workers Circle, reported this Wednesday by the British newspaper The Guardian.
His wife, Anisley Cortés, reported that Sendra has lost more than 22 kilograms during his detention and that he did not receive the medications or food he needed, which worsened his health condition.
"He is very ill and needs proper medical attention," Cortés stated, who explained that her husband was hospitalized for several weeks early this year.
The Cuban initially stayed at the facility known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in the Florida Everglades, before being transferred to Krome in April.
According to his wife, the immigration authorities informed her husband that Cuba would not accept him as a deportee and that Mexico had also refused to take him in due to his medical needs.
In light of that situation, they indicated that he would have to be sent to Africa.
"We are left with the uncertainty of not knowing how he is or if we will see him again," Cortés expressed.
Warnings about deportation flights this week
Immigration attorney Shalyn Fluharty warned that, according to information received from detainees, deportation flights may take place this Thursday and Friday to the Central African Republic and possibly Burundi.
There is no official confirmation that Sendra is among the passengers or what their destination might be.
Fluharty warned about the risks these transfers pose for individuals with serious illnesses, especially since some flights can extend up to 24 hours and deportees remain handcuffed at the wrists, ankles, and waist.
"What happens if you have a heart condition, are at high risk of having a stroke, or have diabetes and need regular access to food or insulin?" the lawyer questioned.
The complaints arise after a report from the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, published in September, documented serious deficiencies at Krome North.
During an inspection conducted in May 2025, officials found 1,102 detainees in facilities with a maximum capacity of 882 people, as well as 15 vacancies in the medical staff and issues related to food security.
According to The Guardian, the Department of Homeland Security did not provide a response regarding Sendra's situation after receiving their personal information.
Other Cubans have been sent to Africa
The threat of deportation arises while the United States maintains its policy of expulsions to third countries. On September 29, the Supreme Court suspended, by a vote of six to three, a judicial decision that restricted these transfers, while it examines the legality of the procedures used by the Government.
A report from Human Rights Watch, published on October 8, documented that 536 individuals were deported from the United States to African countries other than their own nationality between January 20, 2025, and August 5, 2026. The organization gathered testimonies of mistreatment, arbitrary detentions, and difficulties accessing medication.
Among the affected Cubans is Arístides Fernández García, who was deported to the Central African Republic at the end of July and successfully left Bangui this Monday, after nearly three months, to begin a journey to Bolivia.
Fernández reported having experienced health issues during his stay in that country, where other Cubans sent by the U.S. immigration authorities are still present.
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