Mother of 1-year-old girl among dozens of Cubans deported from Floridalast month

A Florida family faced separation when the mother of a 1-year-old was deported to Cuba, despite being married to an American citizen.

The mother, Heidy Sanchez, was one among many Cubans deported from Florida recently. She was detained at an immigration office during a scheduled appointment. Sanchez had been in the process of obtaining her green card and was enjoying life with her husband and daughter before the sudden deportation.

Sanchez pleaded with immigration officials not to separate her from her child, but her pleas were ignored. She was swiftly deported to Cuba, leaving her daughter behind with her husband. Sanchez’s husband, Carlos Yuniel Valle, expressed disbelief at the situation, highlighting their love story and the difficulties they faced.

Sanchez’s journey to the U.S. was complicated, having crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2019 and subsequently attempting to claim asylum. Despite facing a deportation order, Cuba was not accepting its nationals at the time, allowing Sanchez to live and work in the U.S. under certain conditions.

Valle, who himself immigrated from Cuba through a special lottery system, is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. The couple had been hopeful about Sanchez’s green card application until ICE officials expedited her deportation process during a routine check-in.

Legal experts and advocates have raised concerns over the increased detention of individuals during immigration appointments. Elizabeth Cannon, an immigration attorney, criticized the lack of discretion in deportation decisions, calling it a tactic that instills fear among immigrants.

While ICE did not respond to requests for information on this case, the Department of Homeland Security stated that deported parents have the option to leave their children in the U.S. with relatives or self-deport with the possibility of legal return. However, the process could lead to significant delays and challenges due to immigration policies.

As Sanchez faces an uncertain future, her husband reassures her over the phone that they will fight her case. Before ending the call, Sanchez tearfully expresses her love and longing for her daughter, Kailyn.

The family’s ordeal reflects the struggles faced by many immigrants in the U.S., highlighting the complexities and emotional toll of deportation policies.