Cuban Man Signed for Deportation Three Months Ago Still Detained in Texas

Yosvel Mesa Diéguez says he signed documents to leave the country three months ago.

He is still held in a Texas immigration facility. He sent a message from his phone to his mother, Elsa Diéguez, in Miami Gardens. He said he wants to be deported. He said he is tired of being locked up. "I signed my deportation and what I want is for them to take me out of here and they do not want to take me out," he said.

Mesa Diéguez and his mother arrived at the U.S. border together. His mother and another brother received I-220A documents. Mesa Diéguez was detained at first. Two months later, he was released on bond. He had a court date set. He was waiting to finish his immigration process and get residency. He later moved from Miami to Texas. He recently had a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. He was arrested for that incident. ICE then took him into custody.

His mother worries about his health. She says he has psoriasis. She says he has stomach problems. She says he is losing hair. She noted that he received medical treatment for mental health issues as a child. "I am afraid something will happen to him, that he will try something against his life," she said.

Mesa Diéguez says he is no longer listed in the immigration locator system. "I have not been in the immigration system as a detainee for a week," he said. The Department of Homeland Security was asked why the deportation has not happened. A DHS spokesperson said ICE does not comment on future removal operations. That includes flight times, passenger lists, and destinations. The spokesperson said ICE does not discuss individual cases.

Mesa Diéguez told his mother he might stay until next year. "He said to me: 'No, Mom, they want to leave me until March or April next year.' How is that possible if he already signed?" Elsa Diéguez asked. The Migration Policy Institute estimates the Trump administration has carried out about 980,000 deportations. That count covers the period from January 20, 2025, to July 31, 2026. DHS has not confirmed that number.

His family does not know when he will leave. They do not know which country he will go to. His mother says he may be held for several more months. He remains in a Texas detention center.