The deportation of his Cuban partner, Yamile Alcantu, after nearly a quarter-century in the United States, has led Miami businessman Wayne DeMario to publicly regret his decision to support Donald Trump in the 2024 election. DeMario has vowed never to back the Republican Party again.
"If I had voted Democrat, my wife would still be with me," DeMario stated in a Reuters video released this week, expressing his frustration with Trump's immigration policies and their impact on his family.
DeMario, who owns a guitar shop in Cutler Bay, Miami-Dade, never anticipated that the administration he helped elect would ultimately separate him from Yamile, affectionately known as "Yami," with whom he has shared two decades of his life.
The American Dream Turned Nightmare
His disillusionment runs so deep that he now questions the very notion of the American dream: "No, I don't believe in the American dream anymore. It's become an American nightmare," he declared.
In his latest testimony, DeMario expands his criticism beyond the deportation of his partner.
The businessman argues that the situation has led him to question the treatment of immigrants, especially Cubans and other Latin Americans he has lived alongside for years in South Florida.
"I see a complete lack of respect for this country and its people. I see racism and feel sorry for the treatment of my Latino friends, especially my Cuban friends," he stated.
"I grew up in Miami, have plenty of Cuban family and friends, and many of them have been deported for incidents from 20 years ago," he added.
Discontent Among Trump's Supporters
DeMario believes that the deportations under Trump's administration have caused dissatisfaction, even among those who supported the president in the 2024 election.
"People tell me the same thing, whether they are Republicans, Democrats, or independent: 'This is not what we voted for.' We didn't vote for this," he said.
The businessman claims that many voters anticipated a focus on dangerous criminals, but the measures adopted have also affected immigrants who have been settled in the U.S. for decades.
"This district is very Hispanic. People expected an immigration policy targeting criminals. That's not what happened. They expected an economic policy focused on prosperity. This is far from it. People are suffering," he concluded.
The Story of Yamile Alcantu
The political regret of DeMario is rooted in the story of Yamile Alcantu, a Cuban national who came to the United States approximately 25 years ago through the State Department's Visa Lottery Program.
During her time in the U.S., she built a life, learned English, worked, paid taxes, and maintained a two-decade relationship with the businessman.
Her troubles with immigration authorities began in 2008 when a traffic stop led to the discovery of three Xanax pills in her possession and a subsequent deportation order.
From then on, Alcantu regularly appeared before immigration authorities without incident for years until June 2025, when she attended a routine meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was detained.
She was initially held at a detention center in Jacksonville and later moved to Louisiana, where she was held for months. The Department of Homeland Security classified her as among "the worst of the worst" due to drug-related charges.
Ultimately, she was deported to Mexico, not to Cuba as the couple initially feared, ending nearly 25 years of residence in the United States.
DeMario's Pleas and Financial Strain
DeMario's regret didn't start with the deportation. Months prior, while Yamile was still in ICE custody, the businessman publicly expressed his outrage at Trump's immigration policies.
In February 2026, Local 10 reported his desperate plea, asking the president to allow his partner to return home.
"Please, bring her home! She doesn't deserve this. She’s a very sweet person and prayed for you," he pleaded at the time.
In that interview, he described how Yamile was detained during her immigration appointment: "They took her, put her in shackles and chains."
At that time, DeMario acknowledged he had supported Republicans in the 2024 presidential election, though he felt betrayed by the resulting immigration policies.
"I didn't vote for this, but I definitely voted Republican," he declared then.
His frustration was also evident on Facebook, where he announced he would no longer support the party: "I'm not a Trump supporter. I vote for Republicans. And I will never vote for them again."
In another post, he was even more emphatic: "I'm furious with this entire administration and the whole government... I'm sorry I voted for that fool."
At that time, his primary fear was that Yamile would be sent to Cuba, a country she left a quarter of a century ago and with which she had little connection.
"She's American at heart," DeMario insisted as he tried to prevent her deportation.
The legal battle to prevent Yamile's expulsion also came at a high financial cost for DeMario.
While Alcantu was detained, the businessman launched a GoFundMe campaign that had raised $17,765 of a $30,000 goal, according to information published in February.
DeMario stated then that he had invested his life's savings in legal fees and expenses related to his partner's detention while continuing to work at his store, Wayne's Guitar World.
Despite his efforts and the public campaign he launched to secure her release, he couldn't prevent Yamile's deportation.
Impact on Cuban-Americans
The case of Yamile Alcantu emerges amid the debate over the Trump administration's immigration policies and their impact on the Cuban community in the United States.
According to NPR, nearly 6,000 Cubans had been deported to Mexico by the Trump administration as of October 4, 2026.
Human Rights Watch documented that 27% of those deported between January 2025 and March 2026 had no criminal record in the U.S.
A survey cited by Al Jazeera found that approximately 68% of Cuban-Americans disapproved of the deportations, a significant figure in a community that largely supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Keep up with the latest news on deportations and immigration policies in our U.S. Immigration section.
Understanding Deportation Policies and Their Effects
Why was Yamile Alcantu deported?
Yamile Alcantu was deported due to a 2008 incident where three Xanax pills were found in her possession during a traffic stop, leading to a deportation order.
How has the Trump administration's policy affected Cuban-Americans?
The Trump administration's policies have resulted in nearly 6,000 Cubans being deported to Mexico, causing significant disapproval among Cuban-Americans who largely supported Trump in 2024.
What efforts did Wayne DeMario make to prevent Yamile's deportation?
Wayne DeMario launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal fees and expenses related to Yamile's detention, investing his life's savings into the effort.