Faby Rodríguez, a 22-year-old Cuban, was unexpectedly detained during a routine immigration check-in in Texas, leading to her deportation back to Cuba after years of compliance with US immigration processes.
Faby Rodríguez arrived on time for her immigration check-in in San Antonio, Texas, as she always had, unaware it would be her last day of freedom in the United States. In 2022, she had left Cuba for Nicaragua and embarked on a perilous journey to enter US territory, where she was detained for three days and released with the I-220A form, allowing her to continue her process outside detention while her case was reviewed in court.
She complied with every requirement: filing her asylum application, attending hearings, and reporting punctually to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That morning in 2025, after handing over her documents, she was called and led through a door that initiated her detention. Officers explained their cases would be reviewed '110 percent' due to improper border processing, offering detention or voluntary departure.
Transferred to another detention center, she met people from various nationalities, many held in similar circumstances for months. Her first hearing that month resulted in the judge denying bond or an electronic monitor, citing policies requiring detention until the process concluded. The I-220A, an Order of Release on Recognizance, does not grant legal status and disqualifies holders from the Cuban Adjustment Act, as it is not considered parole.
In 2025, under the Trump administration, policies tightened, exposing I-220A holders to sudden detentions. Department of Homeland Security data shows over 2 million undocumented immigrants left the US, with 527,000 expulsions coordinated by ICE and more than 65,000 detained. For Cubans, there were 1,498 direct deportations and 731 to third countries like Mexico.
In her second hearing on September 26, 2025, the judge found her asylum evidence insufficient and offered voluntary departure, which she accepted. 'He was a good judge', she said. 'Many don't even let you speak'. Two months later, she was deported to Havana, with restraints removed just minutes before landing.
In Cuba, she faces scarcity, blackouts, and ill relatives. 'Arriving was very hard', she recounts. 'The Cuba I left was bad, but now it's worse'. Her story serves as a warning: 'Don't take anything for granted. Even if you're complying, everything can change from one day to the next'.
In a year of accelerated deportations, cases like Faby's highlight vulnerability in the current immigration system.
