From Supporting Trump to Regret: Miami Business Owner Pleads for Release of Cuban Girlfriend Detained by ICE

Wayne DeMario could never have predicted that the immigration policies he supported at the polls would end up impacting his own life so directly.

Eight months after his Cuban-born partner was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Miami-Dade small business owner admits he's living through the toughest period of his life and regrets his vote for the Republican Party.

In an emotional plea, DeMario called out to President Donald Trump: “Please, bring her home! She doesn’t deserve this. She's a sweet person and prayed for you,” he told Local 10.

Yamile Alcantu arrived in the United States 25 years ago from Cuba through the State Department's Visa Lottery Program. She built her life here, worked, paid taxes, and formed a two-decade-long relationship with DeMario.

However, in 2008, she received a deportation order after a traffic stop where, according to DeMario, police found three Xanax pills in her purse. “They checked her bag, emptied it, and out fell three Xanax pills,” DeMario recounted.

Since then, Alcantu has consistently reported to immigration authorities as required. Each year, she attended her check-ins without issue until last June, when she was detained during a routine ICE appointment.

DeMario's Emotional Struggle

DeMario described the moment as a “kidnapping” when Alcantu was taken into custody, handcuffed, and shackled. Initially held in a Jacksonville detention center, she was later transferred to Louisiana, where she remains without an immigration judge hearing, according to DeMario.

The Department of Homeland Security has labeled her as among “the worst of the worst” due to her drug-related record. Local 10 reports also highlight other minor offenses dating back to the early 2000s.

For DeMario, none of this justifies the current situation. He admits to voting Republican in 2024 and supporting stricter immigration policies, but his perspective has drastically shifted.

“I didn’t vote for this, but I definitely voted Republican,” he stated. On his public Facebook page, he was more explicit: “I am not a Trump supporter. I vote Republican. And I will never vote for them again.”

The Threat of Deportation

DeMario’s biggest fear is Alcantu’s deportation to Cuba, a country she left a quarter-century ago and no longer considers home. “She’s American at heart,” DeMario insists.

The businessman’s distress intensified recently when, following a TV interview, Alcantu was unexpectedly informed at the detention center to prepare for deportation. DeMario expressed his outrage: “This is insane. Shortly after the interview with Channel 10, Yyami gets a message from ICE to pack her things because she’s being deported tonight. We don’t even know where or when they’re taking her.”

In a state of insomnia and desperation, DeMario documented his frustrations online, lamenting the perceived failure of the American system and its dream. He emphasized Alcantu’s 25 years of contributing to the United States, learning English, and adopting American ways.

The Financial and Emotional Toll

While Alcantu remains detained, DeMario faces mounting financial burdens. On GoFundMe, he outlines the legal fees and expenses incurred at the detention center, including the cost of basic necessities and communication tools for Alcantu. His campaign has raised $17,765 towards a $30,000 goal.

DeMario has poured his life savings into the legal fight, all while continuing to run his store, Wayne’s Guitar World. What began as a routine immigration appointment morphed into a prolonged detention, deportation threats, and what he calls “mental torture.” It also led to a personal political reckoning.

“I didn’t vote for this,” he repeats, now focused solely on reuniting with the woman he’s spent 20 years alongside.