Who is Lázaro Romero León and why was he deported?

Lázaro Romero León, a 59-year-old Cuban citizen, had lived in Puerto Rico since the 1990s after stints in Miami, Tennessee, and Los Angeles. A non-executed deportation order from 2002 hung over him, but because the US has no deportation agreement with Cuba, he was allowed to remain under a supervision order — signing in with ICE for 28 years without missing a single appointment.

What went wrong on 20 May 2025?

On 20 May 2025, six ICE agents arrested Romero León outside his home in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and transferred him first to the ICE detention centre in Adelanto, California, then to Florence, Arizona. ICE requested travel documents from Cuban authorities in June 2025; that request remains unanswered. In September, ICE notified Cuba he would be removed to a third country.

Was there a court order protecting him?

Yes. Federal Judge Hernán Diego Vera of the Central District of California issued a habeas corpus order explicitly stating that Romero León could not be transported out of the United States until the court resolved his case. The order read: "To be extremely clear, this order means that it is prohibited [...] to transport the petitioner from the United States to Mexico."

How did the wrongful deportation happen?

Despite that court order, on 16 February 2026 Romero León was taken to the border and transported deep into southern Mexico — to Tapachula — in what the US government later admitted was an "apparent communication error." He ended up living on the street, being fed by a stranger who let him sleep in their backyard.

How long did it take to return him?

Nearly three months passed before Romero León was brought back to the United States — a period he described as "pure agony."

Key Facts:
  • Romero León, 59, Cuban national, resident of Puerto Rico since the 1990s.
  • Signed in with ICE under a supervision order for 28 years without a single missed appointment.
  • A federal judge explicitly barred his deportation before the habeas corpus ruling.
  • Deported to Mexico on 16 February 2026 due to an "apparent communication error."
  • Stranded in Tapachula, southern Mexico, for nearly three months before being returned.
  • The US–Cuba deportation agreement gap left tens of thousands in a similar legal limbo.