MIAMI — Immigration authorities have begun releasing some of the Cuban migrants that were detained in South Florida last week, according to officials, activists and relatives of the detainees.
The Miami Herald interviewed several of the Cuban migrants while they were at Broward Transitional Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center for immigrants in Pompano Beach. Many had entered the United States through the southern border under Donald Trump’s administration, and been in immigration custody for as much as two years and had asylum claims denied.
ICE had released them in the early days of the Biden administration with supervision orders. In the time since, the Cuban migrants had received work permits and were often the breadwinners and caretakers for family members living in South Florida.
But at the beginning of last week, many of them were called into ICE’s office and detained, while other said they had been picked up at home and at work as far as Orlando. Detainees told the Miami Herald there were about 38 of them in custody as of Friday, and that they had been told they would be sent back to Cuba because the country had accepted their deportations.
While in custody, one detainee showed a revocation of release to the Herald that said that their case was under review by Cuba for the issuance of travel document. Cuba stopped taking deportation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Saturday night, Annette Taddeo, a Democratic state senator and U.S. Congress candidate, said on Twitter that she had spoken with the Biden administration and that it confirmed the detainees were being released.
“Now to ensure this never happens again,” she said, “the Democrats and Republicans must remain united with the Cuban exile.”
Maria Bilbao, campaign coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee, said that at least two detainees had ankle bracelets put on them and told they had to report to ICE’s Miramar office on Monday. She has questions about why immigration authorities had detained the Cuban migrants in the first place and told they would be sent back to their home country, only to be released days later.
“The government has to clarify what happened, it cannot happen again,” she said.
The detainees’ relatives have spent days organizing on a Whatsapp group, speaking to press and protesting in front of Versailles, a Cuban restaurant that is a Miami institution and the site of manifestations that involve South Florida’s Cuban community.
Not all of the detained had yet been released as of Sunday morning, however. Family members said they will rally around them until every single one is released from ICE custody.
Kenny Mena told the Miami Herald that her husband, Adrian Torres, was still detained along with several detainees, but that he had already signed release documents.
“I feel much calmer, because this isn’t easy,” she said, “Now there is hope they will be able to leave.”
She eagerly awaits the call telling her to pick him up at Broward Transitional Center.
Yudisleidy Molina, a Cuban migrant and mother of a newborn whose husband, Dachel Caballero, was among the detainees had been administered a COVID-19 test, a step ICE took with other of the Cuban migrants before releasing them.
“God willing they release them today,” she said.
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