A Cuban woman living in Florida with her 17-month-old daughter and her American husband has been deported to her home country.
In late April this year, she was contacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for her appointment, which was then moved to the next day.
Upon arriving with her husband, daughter, and a lawyer, who believed it was a normal routine check-in, ICE agents took her into custody. They asked her to hand over her daughter to the lawyer and then deported her to Cuba, CNN reported.
Heidy Sanchez said, “They never gave me the option to take my daughter.” She told CNN that the agents informed her and said, “Call the father to come get her; you are staying here.”
Carlos Valle, Ms Sanchez’s husband, was not allowed to enter the room where she was being questioned by the ICE agents. When she was informed of her deportation, the agents didn’t let her see her husband or hand over their daughter to him. Instead, her lawyer took on the responsibility, Mr Valle told The Guardian.
US Representative Kathy Castor posted on X, “Today I met with Ms Sanchez’s husband, Carlos. Their story is not only upsetting but infuriating. The Trump Administration is ripping families apart for political games. We are pursuing every action to reunite this family and, unfortunately, are still waiting for a response from the White House to explain their illegal actions,” she added.
Today I met with Ms. Sánchez husband, Carlos.
Their story is not only upsetting but infuriating. The Trump Administration is ripping families apart for political games.
We are pursuing every action to reunite this family and unfortunately, are still waiting for a response from… pic.twitter.com/wcPQv3D9jf
— U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (@USRepKCastor) May 2, 2025
In 2019, Sanchez entered the United States from Mexico when the first Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” program mandated asylum seekers wait on the opposite side for immigration appointments. Scared of Mexico cartels that kidnapped and extorted money from Cuban immigrants, Ms Sanchez decided to cross the border and told the US immigration officers that her life was in danger. She was allowed to stay.
After spending nine months in immigration custody, she was released and allowed to live with her family in Tampa, Florida. Ms Sanchez’s attorney said she tried to stop the deportation process but was given “the runaround” by the authorities.
According to The Guardian, Mr Valle said his wife was having trouble getting WIFI access in Cuba to sing her daughter to sleep. The child is constantly crying and calling for her mother.
Ms Sanchez was informed that her child, who is still breastfeeding and has health issues, must remain in the US but may come to see her in Cuba, reported The Guardian.