Hard at work in South Florida, Ana said she feels pain and regret. She hadn’t seen her beloved husband Omar in 89 days.
The two arrived from Cuba by boat 26 years ago. Both became legal residents, their family grew, and Ana became a U.S. citizen.
Omar “always had to work,” Ana said in Spanish, explaining why he procrastinated on becoming a U.S. citizen.
Then there was a traffic stop and a marijuana possession case in 2020 that resulted in a deportation order.
The last time Ana saw Omar was in November. He vanished after meeting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Miramar.
“They took him to Alligator Alcatraz,” Ana said, adding that their family is in anguish since he suffers from diabetes and was recovering from amputation just days before ICE detained him.
This week, a federal judge listened to testimony from men who were Alligator Alcatraz detainees who alleged inhumane treatment there, and said they were punished for seeking legal advice before being deported.
Gov. Ron DeSantis did not directly respond to these allegations.
“If you don’t have a right to be here, we should determine that quickly and finally and then repatriate you to your home country,” DeSantis recently said during a news conference.
Critics have raised concerns about detainees’ death. In fiscal year 2025, ICE reported online that at least 18 people had died nationwide while in custody -- and six so far this year.
Ana is working to pay for her husband’s legal bills, fearing for his life and dealing with remorse.
“I voted for Trump,” she said, adding that she regrets it because the ongoing immigration crackdown isn’t what she voted for.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
More related stories
- Morning report > Giménez: Trump needs to ban U.S.-Cuba remittances, flights
- Afternoon report > Gimenez and Diaz-Balart want Trump to use trade agreement, justice department on Cuba
- Afternoon report > Trump says Venezuelan airspace will reopen to commercial travel and Americans soon can visit
- Wednesday report > Detainees at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ say they were punished for seeking legal help
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