Lawyer says self-deportation is a serious mistake
Two Cubans who had an I-220A document made the drastic decision to return to Cuba for fear of being deported. The story was revealed by journalist Javier Díaz, from Univision, who shared the appearance of a lawyer who described the action as a “terrible mistake.”
The lawyer explained that, in the case of having a pending asylum application, leaving the country without an immigration permit is equivalent to abandoning the asylum process. The couple, whose identity has not been revealed, expressed their fear of being transferred to the Guantanamo naval base, after the US authorities reported the relocation of 30,000 illegal immigrants to that site.
This type of decision they made could mark a trend among migrants who, faced with uncertainty and the lack of legal status, choose to return to Cuba in the hope of finding a new opportunity to settle in the United States in the future.
The situation of Cubans with I-220A in the US has become a matter of growing concern. Currently, hundreds of thousands of Antilleans with this document fear being deported due to the new immigration policies implemented by the Donald Trump administration. The Cuban community has requested special treatment, arguing that their situation should not be generalized with that of other irregular immigrants.
The I-220A is a Parole Order granted to certain immigrants who were detained at the border and later released. However, this document is not considered a parole for the purposes of the Immigration Courts, which prevents Cubans from applying for permanent residence through the Cuban Adjustment Act. This leaves them in legal limbo, with political asylum as their only option for protection.
The affected Antilleans have held protests in Washington and Miami demanding that the government recognize their situation and provide a solution.
(Source: TRC)