After Expulsion From the United States, a Cuban Migrant Struggles to Rebuild His Life at Home

LAS MINAS, Cuba — After spending half a decade establishing a life, career, and household in the United States, Liexer De La Cruz found his American journey abruptly halted inside a federal immigration courtroom in Miami. Now back in his rural hometown in Havana province, he is forced to start over, navigating the harsh daily realities of Cuba after an unexpected legal decision upended his family's long-term aspirations.

The sudden turning point occurred during what De La Cruz had anticipated would be a standard, routine immigration proceeding on Jan. 9. Instead of receiving procedural updates, the Cuban native was suddenly presented with an agonizing dilemma by the presiding immigration judge: voluntarily accept an order to depart for Cuba immediately or remain in the United States while facing the perpetual threat of unannounced deportation.

Given mere seconds to determine the trajectory of his future, De La Cruz was unable to step outside the courtroom to consult with his wife or his sister, both of whom were waiting anxiously in the hallway. Realizing the severe legal and personal consequences of being apprehended under a formal deportation order, he chose to return to his homeland. When he exited the courtroom, his grief was visible on his face, conveying the outcome to his family before words could even be spoken.

His departure from the U.S. marked the end of a grueling quest for residency that began years earlier. De La Cruz initially left Cuba in late 2019 alongside his wife. Their arduous trek took them through several South American nations, including Suriname, Guyana, and Brazil, before they traversed nearly a dozen countries by foot, passenger bus, private vehicle, and boat in an effort to reach North America.

The couple ultimately reached the United States border in Texas in August 2021. Overcome with relief upon their arrival on American soil, De La Cruz immediately reached out to his aunt by telephone to share the milestone, an emotional moment marked by tears of joy after surviving months of exhausting and hazardous travel across the Western Hemisphere.

Upon entering the country, border officials released De La Cruz with an immigration document known as Form I-220A. Historically, migrants from Cuba have benefited from a distinct pathway toward legal permanent residency and citizenship under the provisions of the Cuban Adjustment Act. However, recent legal disputes regarding whether recipients of the I-220A document qualify for residency under the act have created severe instability for many arrivals.

According to data documented by ReliefWeb, more than half a million Cuban nationals currently hold the same I-220A status as De La Cruz, leaving a massive population suspended in legal uncertainty. This precarious situation has grown increasingly volatile amid aggressive immigration enforcement actions implemented under the second presidential administration of Donald Trump, which has heightened scrutiny on foreign nationals and accelerated removal proceedings.

Before his legal options dissolved, De La Cruz had managed to build a productive life in South Florida close to relatives. While his wife found employment working as a cook, De La Cruz earned professional credentials as a certified electrician. His specialized trade required extensive travel to work sites across the country, taking him to states as far away as Nebraska and Kentucky to secure steady income.

The earnings generated from his electrical work provided vital support for his family members remaining in Cuba. De La Cruz routinely sent remittances to purchase footwear, clothing, and essential items for his two daughters. The couple had harbored long-term plans to eventually bring all three of their teenage daughters—his two and his wife's daughter—to join them in the United States, hoping to grant them access to dependable electricity, food, and running water.

De La Cruz’s drive to leave his homeland had developed over decades of economic strain in Las Minas, a small community located approximately 30 minutes outside central Havana. As a youth, he enjoyed outdoor pursuits such as fishing for tilapia, hunting birds, and climbing local trees. At the age of 16, an accident in which he plummeted roughly 50 feet from a mango tree resulted in a fractured spine, though he eventually achieved a full physical recovery.

As an adult, De La Cruz sought out multiple career paths to achieve financial stability within Cuba's constrained economic system. He completed studies as an industrial equipment repair technician and subsequently took a job in a factory manufacturing PVC piping to maximize his income. He later transitioned to work as a paramedic—a profession he found deeply rewarding—but the monthly wage of only $24 proved insufficient, prompting him to become a taxi driver.

By the time he reached the age of 34, persistent economic difficulties, severe fuel lines, and a visibly deteriorating public healthcare system left De La Cruz completely disillusioned with his prospects on the island. Recognizing that many Cubans grow up aspiring to migrate to the United States in pursuit of personal improvement and financial security, he resolved to seek a better life abroad through sheer hard work.

Today, those American aspirations have been replaced by the modest routines of daily survival back in Las Minas and the nearby town of Campo Florido. Instead of performing high-voltage electrical work in the United States, De La Cruz earns a living by operating a passenger tricycle to transport local commuters, passing his downtime caring for his backyard chickens and conversing with neighbors.

De La Cruz's return highlights the profound human impact of shifting international border policies and changing court interpretations. For hundreds of thousands of Cuban migrants still residing in the United States under uncertain legal classifications, his sudden transition from an established American worker to an island tricycle operator serves as a stark reminder of how rapidly legal status can unravel.