Mother of 1-Year-Old Married to US Citizen Deported, Separated From Baby [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Apr 26, 2025 at 3:03 PM EDT | Updated Apr 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM EDT


Heydi Sánchez Tejeda, a Cuban immigrant married to a United States citizen with whom she shares a baby daughter, was detained earlier this week and deported to Havana on Thursday on a flight carrying dozens of Cuban migrants, the Miami Herald reported on Saturday.

Her husband, Carlos Yuniel Valle, said in Spanish in an emotional video posted on his Facebook account, "They separated a girl from her mother. They killed a mother, a father, and the future of a girl while she was still alive." Newsweek has reached out to Valle for comment via Facebook Messenger and filled out an online contact form with Tejeda's attorney. Newsweek also emailed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday for comment.

The Context

Tejeda's deportation comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, during which some people with valid documentation—including green cards or visas—have been detained and face legal jeopardy. President Donald Trump vowed to prevent illegal immigrants with criminal histories or backgrounds from entering and staying in the U.S. He has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history and has detained and deported thousands of people in recent months, including to their home countries and others to El Salvador for imprisonment.

Others have also been detained after appearing at DHS offices, including Rosmery Alvarado, a Guatemalan immigrant married to a recently naturalized U.S. citizen, Mohsen Mahdawi, a U.S. permanent resident for 10 years who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Colchester, Vermont, during a naturalization interview, and Cliona Ward, who is being held at San Francisco International Airport after delivering requested paperwork.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/mother-1-year-old-married-us-citizen-deported-separated-baby-2064588