Cuban baseball player Loidel Rodriguez, who arrived in the United States three years ago, is one of thousands of Cuban immigrants who have not been able to regularize their immigration status in the northern nation because a judge has an I-220A form that keeps them in legal limbo until a judge decides otherwise.
Since he arrived in Miami in 2021 after the Havana regime imposed an 8-year prison sentence for deserting in Mexico, he has not been able to see his family again since he does not have legal residency that allows him to travel elsewhere to meet with his relatives. Journalist Yusnaby Rodríguez from the Telemundo 51 team spoke with the Cuban to find out his opinions on the matter.
"I deserted in Mexico with the Cuban team and when I arrived here the officers took me out with an I-220A," explains Rodriguez, who claims that he cannot return to the land where he was born and has no intention of going either. However, he says that he can use other alternatives to be able to see his family, such as going to Punta Cana, taking into account that during this time he has only been able to speak with them through social networks.
In this regard, immigration attorney Rosaly Chaviano explained that they are waiting for a federal court to rule on these cases that have an I-220A form. "There are Cubans who are currently with I-220A and are in immigration court. They have to present an asylum application before a judge and eventually wait for their final court date to fight for this asylum," the attorney told Telemundo 51.
If the federal court rules in favor of Cubans with I-220A, they would only have to present their residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act and be approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) or by a judge.
Chaviano also recommended that these Cubans can request parole in Miramar, Broward with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and if the decision is favorable, they can apply for residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act enacted in 1966.
Loidel, like other Cubans who have the same status in the land of opportunity, have to periodically update their driver's and work licenses while they wait for a court to decide their status. "I want to be legal here in the United States, I don't want to be hiding. Many people live in fear," said the Cuban baseball player.
His love for sports is still alive, although it is literally on hold since he had to dedicate himself to working to be able to support himself in the country. He is currently working as a plumber for an American company, however, the baseball player adds that he aspires to more things that he cannot do without residency.
Form I-220A is a “Parole Order” issued by the United States government to certain individuals who have been detained by immigration authorities and later released. This form establishes a series of requirements and conditions that the person must meet in exchange for being free in the country while awaiting court.
These requirements include mandatory attendance at certain hearings in immigration court and others related to their specific case. They must also maintain exemplary civic behavior during the stage in which their immigration status is evaluated, otherwise it could have negative consequences on the individual's process.
