When Liexer De La Cruz entered a federal courtroom in Miami on Jan. 9, he expected a routine immigration hearing. Instead, he was forced to decide in a matter of seconds whether to return to Cuba or remain in the United States and face deportation. He was not given a chance to speak with his wife and sister, who waited outside.
De La Cruz had spent five years building a life in America after traveling through nearly a dozen countries by foot, car, bus, and boat. In August 2021 he and his wife crossed the U.S.–Mexico border into Texas, where they obtained immigration paperwork in hopes of applying for green cards under the Cuban Adjustment Act. While in South Florida he worked as a certified electrician, taking assignments as far as Kentucky and Nebraska, and used his earnings to buy shoes and other essential goods for his two daughters in Cuba. His wife worked as a cook. The couple planned to bring his two daughters and her one daughter to the U.S. for reliable food, water, and electricity.
When the judge pressed him for an answer, De La Cruz chose to return to Cuba. He did not need to explain the decision to his wife and sister; the expression on his face revealed his choice. He arrived in Havana to find the national crisis already visible in the airport terminal, where the bathroom was dimly lit and paint was peeling. He moved into his late mother’s house in Las Minas and purchased a solar‑powered tricycle to resume work as a taxi driver.
Frequent power outages, water shortages, fuel scarcity, and high food prices make daily life difficult. He charges the tricycle with eight‑hour solar panels, often losing a full day of work, and provides free rides to passengers who cannot afford fares. Despite these hardships, he finds solace in the countryside, caring for chickens, roosters, and a 4‑month‑old mutt named Zeus, and hopes that conditions will improve so life can become sustainable.
