Eduardo Núñez González, a Cuban citizen with Spanish nationality, was detained in Miami while taking out the trash from his home.
The arrest occurred on Thursday, March 20, when Eduardo left his home in North Miami to take out the trash. His home’s security camera captured the moment several agents suddenly intercepted him a few steps from his door. The images show a man quickly approaching the Cuban man before others joined in the arrest.
His wife, Vilma Pérez Delgado, told NBC Miami that everything happened in a matter of seconds and that, when she tried to say goodbye to her husband, the agents denied her access, arguing that he was already in custody. “They had him against the trash can, without reading him his rights, without asking for his papers,” she added.
Eduardo Núñez González has renewed his work permit during the seven years he has lived in the U.S. while he waits to complete his citizenship process. However, according to his wife, the loss of documents and administrative delays have complicated the process.
After his arrest, the Cuban-born man was transferred to the Krome Detention Center, where overcrowding is reported, and later to the Broward Transitional Center. His family reports that the conditions inside those facilities are precarious. “He told me they haven’t given him food or water. There are sick people in there,” Vilma lamented.
NBC Miami confirmed that Eduardo has no criminal record. His only record with the justice system is traffic tickets, which have already been paid. “He hasn’t committed a single crime, neither here nor there. All he did was speed his car a little and they gave him a ticket. And he paid it. That’s all he has,” his wife explained.
Eduardo Núñez González’s family started a campaign on Change.org to demand his release. “My husband has been unjustly arrested. He has no criminal record and is married to a U.S. citizen. This is a family separation without cause,” the description reads.
While searching for answers about the reasons for his detention, his attorney advised the immigrant community to know their rights. “I desperately wish we had more avenues for recourse for these people, but what they need to do, essentially, is understand their rights. Unless ICE escorts them with a warrant, they don’t have to open the door or answer questions,” Katie Blankenship, a civil rights attorney, told NBC Miami.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, ICE operations and raids have increased significantly. In the first 50 days of the year, more than 32,000 people without legal status were arrested. While these operations focus on those with deportation orders, collateral arrests of immigrants without criminal records have also occurred.
Given this situation, experts recommend immigrants know their rights if approached by ICE agents:
Do not open the door without a court order.
Remain silent and do not answer questions about your immigration status.
Do not sign documents without consulting a lawyer.
Avoid giving false information or attempting to bribe an agent.
