Making it Happen: Cuban Women Granted Asylum and Reunited with Family

The clients were two Cuban women (mother and daughter) who entered the U.S. in October of 2018 by presenting themselves at the U.S.-Mexico border to apply for asylum. They also came to the border with their husband/father. Because they were arriving aliens, the immigration judge did not have jurisdiction to grant bond in their case, so they were detained in ICE custody in Texas. The mother and daughter were transferred to a detention center in Virginia, while the husband/father remained detained in Texas. They were interviewed by the asylum office to establish whether there was a credible fear of past harm or a well-founded fear of future harm on account of a protected ground. They were found reliable and as a result of the credible fear finding the husband/father was released on ICE parole without an interview. ICE in Virginia refused to grant parole to the mother and daughter even though the clients demonstrated a credible fear, that they had family with immigration status in the U.S. willing to support them financially and in their claim asylum, and despite evidence that ICE in Texas released the father/husband.

Because ICE refused to release them, the clients had to proceed with their asylum claim in detention. They had their final hearing on February 4th, and we were able to prevail by demonstrating that the Cuban government had previously threatened to make the clients “disappear” if they continued to oppose the government. Shortly after being granted asylum they were released and have now been reunited with their family members in Florida. For help with applying for asylum, reach out to our dedicated immigration lawyers.