Imprisoned for seeking refuge
In March 2018, Cuban police took Adrian Toledo Flores to a prison cell, violently beat him, and threw him against a sink.
As he started to bleed, one of the officers said, 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 deserve to be in this country.鈥�
His 鈥渃rime?鈥� As a pharmacy technician, he was ordered not to give a man the prescription he desperately needed. But he did it anyway, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) 鈥� which monitors Cuba like Big Brother with its eyes always open for 鈥渃ounterrevolutionaries鈥� 鈥� cited him.
Flores was attacked on three separate occasions. During one incident, officers asked him if he was against the government. Flores explained that he was concerned about the lack of freedom in the country, and that he was troubled by the way Cuba鈥檚 dictatorship was affecting young men.
His words only heightened the officers鈥� outrage.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to know the consequences of going against your country,鈥� one of them warned him.
Flores, 22, decided to flee to the U.S. with his girlfriend, who was eight months pregnant with their baby at the time.
Together, they flew to Matamoros, Mexico, before crossing the border into Texas on Oct. 9, 2018. Immigration officials separated Flores from his girlfriend, and then transported him to first to a correctional facility in Mississippi, before moving him Bossier Parish Medium Security ICE Facility.
He panicked, and wondered about his baby. His mind raced with worries.
A month after he was locked up, his girlfriend gave birth. Flores has never seen his newborn daughter in person, as his girlfriend鈥檚 visitation requests have been denied. In fact, the facility does not allow any in-person visitation for its prisoners. He did, however, have the chance to 鈥渟ee鈥� her on a video call.
鈥淚 felt so incredibly happy,鈥� he said of the moment he first saw his daughter鈥檚 face. 鈥淏ut it was also incredibly sad. I鈥檓 missing everything. I鈥檓 going crazy not being able to hold my daughter. It鈥檚 destroying me psychologically.鈥�
In February 2019, after receiving three denied requests for parole, Flores was ordered removed from the U.S. He is currently appealing his case.
Meanwhile, he is all alone at the immigrant prison, separated from his family. He can鈥檛 sleep. Officers cut the heat off at 7 a.m., leaving his dorm room 鈥渁s cold as ice cubes.鈥� To boot, the men are fed scarce amounts of food, often complaining of hunger.
鈥淭his situation has been very, very traumatic,鈥� he said.
To help him cope, Flores has asked to see a psychologist. He doesn鈥檛 know when he will be granted an appointment, however. It often takes months for his fellow detainees to receive any medical attention.
鈥淧eople here are always sick, always in pain,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f something happens to them, they could die.鈥�
As he waits to see a psychologist, Flores said he 鈥渃ries like a little girl,鈥� because he hasn鈥檛 been able to meet his daughter.
鈥淚 just want to be with my family,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wish the government would give me the opportunity to be with my family, but I don鈥檛 know how to make that happen. I鈥檓 looking for a refuge in the United States. I just need a refuge 鈥� a safe place to be with my family.鈥�
Like scores of other detained Cubans, Flores doesn鈥檛 understand why he is continually denied a chance for release.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why they鈥檙e doing this to all of us,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n Cuba, there are a lot of problems, but the judges here are not well-informed.鈥�
As he waits for his appeal, Flores clings to one last desire: 鈥淚 hope that life gives me the opportunity to live.鈥�
