SANTA MONICA, CA, and MARSHALL, Liberia
From a Western perspective, living life in Cuba must be difficult.
Sure, Cuba has an amazing medical system and there are Doctors galore. But the lack of economic opportunities which lead to stability and prosperity for all makes those living in Cuba want to flee.
After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Cubans began to earnestly seek refuge in the United States. Even today many Cubans flee to the United States in search of a better life.
Pew Research reports that according to the U.S. Census Bureau statistics, there were 2.9 million people of Cuban origin in the U.S. in 2024 mostly located in Florida.
In 1966, the U.S. Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act that allowed legal fast tracking to permanent resident status for citizens of Cuba who have been present in the U.S. for at least one year (originally two years).
Imagine being an immigrant in the United States. You believe that the law will protect you.
Then ICE shows up at your Louisiana front door. You’re handcuffed. Chains are placed around your waist and then you’re deported. Flew halfway around the world until you land in the West African country of Liberia.
The New York Times reported that this is exactly what happened to 49-year-old Leonardo Sanchez, who was exiled to Liberia in late August.
According to The New York Times, some of the detainees that were expelled along with Sanchez were beaten, shackled, and not allowed to use the bathroom. In general, they were ‘treated like wide animals’. Read the original New York Times story by Emmanuel Akinwotu, Pranav Baskar, Genevieve Glatsky and Hamed Aleaziz here.
