Photo: Lawrey / iStock / Getty Images
Two Syracuse hospital workers have been released from federal immigration detention after spending months in custody. Alex Ramirez Gonzalez and his husband Yan Vazquez Hidalgo, both employees at Upstate Medical University, were freed this week after posting bond.
The couple, who fled Cuba and sought asylum in the United States in 2022, were detained in October while attending what was supposed to be a routine immigration hearing. They were subsequently held at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia for nearly four months.
Vazquez Hidalgo was released Tuesday (February 17) after posting a $5,000 bond, while Ramirez Gonzalez was freed Wednesday (February 18) after posting a significantly higher $15,000 bond, according to Spectrum News. Ramirez Gonzalez was also ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device.
The couple's legal troubles are far from over. Last month, an immigration judge ruled they could not pursue their asylum claims in the U.S. and instead ordered them deported to Ecuador – despite neither man having ever visited the country or having family connections there. Their asylum claims, based on persecution they would face as a gay couple in Cuba, remain pending as they appeal the deportation order.
"This moment shows the strength of a united community," said Ali Cottrell, President of CSEA Local 615, the union representing Ramirez Gonzalez. "When working people stand together and speak up, we can make a real difference. Seeing Alex and Yan return home to their family reminds us why we continue to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice," Cottrell told CNY Central.
The immigration judge who set Ramirez Gonzalez's bond, Mary Baumgarten, has a 94.6% denial rate for asylum cases, significantly higher than the national average of 58.6%, according to data from Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
Both Buffalo and Batavia immigration courts were named in a 2020 lawsuit by the New York Civil Liberties Union challenging what they described as unconstitutional practices at bond hearings, including setting higher-than-average bond amounts.
A third Upstate Medical University worker, Mohamed Fofana, was also detained by ICE in November and has reportedly been transferred to a detention center in southern Texas, according to Yahoo News.
The couple, who own a home in North Syracuse and married last year, have received strong support from their unions and the local community, with rallies and vigils held calling for their release.