Cuban Man with Humanitarian Parole and Pending Adjustment Detained for Months by ICE: "Injustices Are Being Committed"

Yuliamnis Alejandro Nieto Matamoros, a 45-year-old Cuban residing in Texas, has been held for nearly four months at the Bluebonnet Detention Center. He was arrested on January 8 during a routine check-in with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)Cuban Adjustment Act for over two years.

His wife has been vocal about the situation, urging for public attention: "We are deeply concerned about the treatment he is receiving, being treated like a criminal despite having no criminal record. We are also worried about the lack of clarity and delay in his process, which is affecting his emotional well-being and that of his family."

In a video shared on social media, Nieto Matamoros recounted his arrest: "I attended my third appointment with ICE. After completing the procedure, they called me back and asked if I had ever appeared in court since arriving in the country. I told them that I had never been summoned. The officer then told me that was my problem and that they were going to detain me because of it."

The Cuban, identified by case number A# 240093614, entered the United States on October 18, 2022, and has lived in Texas for over three and a half years without any criminal history.

From the detention center, Nieto Matamoros described the irony of his predicament: "I’ve been here for three months now, despite having a status adjustment application, humanitarian parole, a five-year driver's license, a five-year work permit, and a social security number."

The judge handling his case acknowledged his eligibility, yet a decision remains pending: "The judge told me that with my parole, I was eligible. He requested all the evidence, and yet I'm still here, approaching my fourth month of detention."

Nieto Matamoros filed the I-485 form under the Cuban Adjustment Act over two years and three months ago, with no response from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). He has attended three hearings without resolution and has a fourth scheduled for April 23.

In the video, he made a direct appeal to the law: "The only request is that the judge at my next court date, which is the 23rd of this month, adheres to the laws and doesn't overlook my status adjustment, which is an I-485 application under the Cuban Adjustment Act, enshrined in this country's constitution. This is inviolable, and they know it well, yet they pretend not to."

His complaint extends beyond his individual case: "They are committing tremendous injustices against us. Almost all of us here have no criminal record, yet they are deporting us or sending us to third countries that are not our own."

This case is part of a documented pattern of Cuban detentions during routine ICE check-ins. For instance, Ariel Lara González, also with parole and under the Cuban Adjustment Act process, was detained in June 2025 and deported in November of that year. Daniel Alejandro Escobar Rodríguez spent 80 days in ICE custody following a routine appointment in December 2025 and was released via a habeas corpus petition. Iván García Pérez, a 26-year-old Cuban nurse with no criminal record, was detained in November 2025 in Miramar, Florida.

Texas accounts for one in four ICE arrests under the Trump administration's crackdown, with detention populations reaching record levels since mid-June 2025. Nieto Matamoros’ wife concluded her complaint with a direct plea: "We ask for attention, a fair review of his case, and respect for his rights."