Cuban-American Community Divided by ICE Deportation of Migrant Mother in Tampa

MIAMI — Once known for its overwhelming support of former President Donald Trump, the Cuban American community in the United States is ending the week sharply divided over the nation's immigration policies.

The growing rift was laid bare by the controversial deportation on Thursday of Tampa resident Heydi Sánchez Tejeda, a young Cuba mother who was married to a U.S. citizen and still nursing her one-year-old daughter. The deportation occurred after Sánchez attended a routine immigration appointment, despite her ongoing efforts to regularize her status and her compliance with all immigration requirements.

The case has ignited outrage among activists and families alike, highlighting the widening gap between those who continue to back strict immigration enforcement and those who feel betrayed by the very administration they once supported, while a group of activist demanded in Washington D.C. more clarity and protection for Cubans in vulnerable migratory status.

Sánchez, who had been living in the United States for five years, was under a Supervision and Deportation Order (Form I-220B), which allowed her to remain in the country while her deportation case was pending.

The Cuban community has been divided regarding Sánchez's deportations, as some decry the persecution of a mother of an infant, while others have praised it under the impression that Sánchez had not done enough to secure her status in the U.S.

"⚠️⚠️Heydi Sánchez was deported today... The Cuban mother of a one-year-old daughter attended a routine immigration appointment in Tampa and has now been sent back to #Cuba.

Where are the Cuban American members of Congress from South Florida? Deport the repressors, but breaking up innocent families is NOT acceptable."

"Son, first tell us how we can help.
Another thing — if she had been in the United States for five years, why didn't she apply for residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act after a year and a day? What happened? I don't understand."

" Otro caso de prensa desinformando. Heydi tenía una orden de deportación previa a intentar regularizar su situación. Se le deportó a esperar la resolución de su proceso en su país de origen. Lo común."

Demonstrations organized by the Movimiento Anticomunista I-220A have sought to draw attention to the tightening of Trump-era immigration policies that have led to a spike in deportations, detentions, and the gradual elimination of legal protections that once set Cuban migrants apart.

Since January 2025, the White House has escalated enforcement against Cuban nationals who entered the country through the southern border and were admitted with documents known as I-220A—orders of release on recognizance. These documents do not confer any legal immigration status nor make individuals eligible for permanent residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966.

Republican Cuban-American Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar has supported the I-220A movement and sent an encouraging message to the protestors in Washington, D.C. on April 25th. Another Cuban mother residing in the United States under I-220A was detained by ICE in March, but was released on bail with support from Salazar.

Sánchez had no criminal record, was gainfully employed, paid taxes, and was in the process of adjusting her status through a family petition filed over two years ago. The incident has drawn particular attention due to the impact on Sánchez's family. Her husband, Carlos Yuniel Valle, expressed his anguish in a video shared on social media, stating, "They separated a girl from her mother. They killed a mother, a father, and the future of a girl while she was still alive."

The couple's daughter was still breastfeeding at the time of her mother's deportation. Valle described the traumatic experience of being handed his crying child without the opportunity to say goodbye to his wife.​

Sánchez's deportation was part of a flight that returned 82 Cuban migrants to Havana. According to the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, this operation brought the total number of Cubans deported in 2025 to 450 through 15 return flights from various countries. The resumption of deportation flights between the U.S. and Cuba in April 2023 has led to increased scrutiny of immigration enforcement practices, particularly concerning individuals with pending legal proceedings and no criminal history.​