Yuniel Abreu Campos had dreams of starting a new life in the United States. After crossing the border in May 2022, he found work, had no criminal record or traffic violations, and was in the process of securing residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Nevertheless, on Thursday, November 6, he was deported back to Cuba on a flight carrying the largest number of Cubans expelled from U.S. soil: 232 individuals.
"They committed many injustices because I wasn't allowed due process," Yuniel stated from Cuba, in an interview with Noticias 23 from Univision, which featured his story in a report by journalist Daniel Benítez.
The migrant had been detained months earlier after voluntarily attending a court session where his case was dismissed. Despite having parole, two pending appeals with the Board of Immigration Appeals, and a residency application, agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) proceeded with his deportation.
Detention and Legal Struggles
For nearly five months, Yuniel was held in immigration centers in Krome and Louisiana, where he alleged procedural violations, including being denied a bond hearing.
Left behind in the United States were his partner, Yeni Fernández, and her children, who relied on his income. "We're very sad, my children and I. They sent him back to the dictatorship, a place he fled from," Yeni lamented.
Yeni further explained that her husband "had his own company" in the U.S., where he worked legally without any history of infractions. "He didn't even have a traffic ticket. He was just another worker, a person who fled a dictatorship," she said in the report.
Legal Representation and Advocacy
His attorney, Lissette Tocado, described the deportation as "arbitrary," emphasizing that a pending appeal with the Board of Immigration Appeals should automatically halt deportation, thus preventing his expulsion. "He had everything in order, yet they still sent him back. They didn't respect the judicial processes," she told Univision 23.
The flight returning him to Cuba, the tenth such operation from the U.S. this year, set a record for the number of repatriated individuals. According to the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), 232 migrants arrived at Havana's José Martí International Airport at noon on November 6.
The group included 189 men, 42 women, and one minor; three were taken for investigation due to alleged crimes committed before leaving Cuba.
Escalating Deportations and Political Context
With this flight, the total number of migration returns to Cuba in 2025 reached 38, amounting to 1,376 people sent back from various countries.
Since Donald Trump took office in January, ten deportation flights have been conducted, returning 1,231 Cuban migrants, highlighting a continuous hardening of immigration policy and stricter enforcement of limited bilateral agreements with Havana.
Public records in Florida show that someone named Yuniel Abreu Campos registered a company, Abreu’s Construction Group LLC, in December 2024, based in Sarasota. However, CiberCuba has not independently confirmed whether this is the same Cuban deported by ICE.
This information aligns with what his wife stated in the Univision 23 report, asserting that Yuniel had his own construction company before being detained.
Key Questions About Cuban Deportations and Immigration Policy
What is the Cuban Adjustment Act?
The Cuban Adjustment Act, enacted in 1966, allows Cuban nationals who have been admitted or paroled into the U.S. to apply for permanent residency after one year.
How has U.S. immigration policy changed under recent administrations?
Under recent administrations, including that of Donald Trump, U.S. immigration policy has seen a tightening, with increased deportations and stricter enforcement of immigration laws.
Why was Yuniel Abreu Campos deported despite having pending appeals?
Yuniel was deported despite his pending appeals, which should have halted the process. His attorney claims this was an arbitrary action by ICE, disregarding judicial processes.