From South Florida Back to Las Minas: Cuban Migrant Rebuilds Life After Abrupt U.S. Expulsion

When Liexer De La Cruz stepped into a federal courtroom in Miami on Jan. 9, he anticipated nothing more than a routine procedural review of his immigration status. Instead, the proceedings abruptly dismantled the life he had spent half a decade constructing in the United States, forcing him into a split-second decision between leaving the country or remaining under the perpetual threat of imminent deportation.

Without an opportunity to step outside the chamber to consult his wife or his sister, both of whom were waiting anxiously in the hallway, De La Cruz was forced to render a definitive verdict on his future on the spot. Caught between the risk of detention and the certainty of return, he opted to leave the nation where he had worked tirelessly to secure a permanent foothold.

When De La Cruz emerged into the corridor, no lengthy explanation was required. His family members took one look at his countenance and immediately recognized that his journey in America had reached its conclusion, setting the stage for his return to the island nation he had departed years earlier.

The sudden resolution brought a jarring end to an odyssey that began when De La Cruz and his wife left Cuba in late 2019. Seeking a viable future, the couple initially attempted to establish residency in South America, spending time in Suriname, Guyana, and Brazil before embarking on a grueling northward journey.

Their overland trek covered nearly a dozen countries, requiring travel by automobile, bus, foot, and boat before they reached the southern border of the United States. In August 2021, the couple crossed the Rio Grande into Texas, where they were processed by border authorities and released into the country with official immigration paperwork.

De La Cruz vividly recalled the intense relief of that moment. Upon crossing into American territory, he immediately telephoned his aunt to share the milestone. The realization that they had reached the United States brought both of them to tears, marking what they believed would be the beginning of a secure and prosperous life.

Following their arrival, the couple settled in South Florida to be close to extended family members. They quickly integrated into the local workforce, with his wife securing employment as a cook while De La Cruz earned professional credentials as a certified electrician. His trade took him on long-distance assignments to Midwestern states including Nebraska and Kentucky.

The income De La Cruz generated allowed him to provide crucial financial assistance to his family back home, regularly sending money to purchase footwear and basic necessities for his two daughters in Cuba. The couple harbored long-term aspirations of sponsoring their three teenage daughters—his two biological children and his wife’s daughter—so the family could be reunited in the United States, far from Cuba's chronic shortages of power, running water, and food.

Historically, Cuban arrivals enjoyed a well-established pathway to legal permanent residency and eventual citizenship under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966. However, under the second presidential administration of Donald Trump, immigration enforcement has intensified significantly, narrowing avenues for relief and subjecting Cuban nationals to heightened scrutiny.

A central issue in De La Cruz's case was his receipt of the I-220A document, an order of release on recognizance issued by border officials. According to a report by ReliefWeb, more than half a million Cubans who were processed with the same documentation currently face deep legal uncertainty, as federal courts and immigration authorities continue to dispute whether an I-220A release qualifies an individual for status adjustment under the Cuban Adjustment Act.

For De La Cruz, the courtroom outcome meant abandoning those legal hopes and returning to Las Minas, a rural community situated roughly 30 minutes outside the capital city of Havana. The town was the backdrop of his upbringing, where as a boy he spent his time fishing for tilapia, hunting birds, and climbing trees. At age 16, a 50-foot fall from a mango tree left him with a fractured spine, though he eventually achieved a complete physical recovery.

As an adult in Cuba, De La Cruz sought various avenues to earn a viable living. He trained as an industrial equipment repair technician and later worked in a manufacturing facility producing PVC piping. He eventually served as a paramedic, a profession he found deeply rewarding, but the meager monthly salary of roughly $24 proved insufficient to survive, prompting him to pivot to driving a taxi.

By age 34, mounting frustration over inadequate wages, extensive fuel shortages, and a crumbling public healthcare infrastructure led De La Cruz to conclude that remaining in Cuba was unsustainable. Like countless compatriots who view migration as the only viable path to self-improvement, he decided to seek opportunities abroad, convinced that hard work in the United States would yield long-term stability.

Today, back in his hometown of Las Minas, De La Cruz is working to adapt to the circumstances he previously sought to escape. He earns a living operating a passenger tricycle between Minas and the neighboring settlement of Campo Florido, tends to chickens on his property, and reconnects with local neighbors, all while holding onto photographs from the life and family milestones he experienced during his years in the United States.