LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There's a push to grant more Cuban immigrants in Louisville the protection they need to stay in the U.S. while they apply for permanent residence.
Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-3) addressed the issue on Jan. 12, calling on Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to act.
"Court rulings threaten the ability of Cubans recently issued an I-220A form to remain in the U.S. This is wrong," McGarvey said, referencing the form immigration officials -- more often now -- are handing out to Cuban nationals crossing into the U.S. An I-220A form allows immigrants detained at the border to be released on their own recognizance under the condition they attend immigration court hearings.
But it does not guarantee they won't be deported as they apply for asylum, a process that can take many months.
Louisville's Nadia Calana, who immigrated to the city from Cuba in 2003, is pushing back.
"We hate it," she said, noting the process can leave Cuban families in limbo.
Calana is a public notary and owner of El Papeleo, translating to 'The Paperwork.' For clarity, she is not associated with Rep. McGarvey's office.
Every day, Calana helps non-English speaking immigrants fill out the necessary forms for things like Green Cards and work permits.
Calana tells WHAS11 there are roughly 55,000 Cubans living in Louisville right now, a nearly 20,000-person increase from just two years ago.
But as those numbers grow, she says a greater portion of them are fearing deportation. She's pushing back against a federal ruling by an immigration judge in September 2023, shrinking the pool of Cubans who can apply for benefits.
The benefits include permanent residence once they've passed a year staying in the U.S, according to the The Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA) of 1966.
"They say, 'Maybe tomorrow I'm here, or maybe tomorrow I'm not because I don't know if I will be stopped at a light and get deported," Calana said.
Darien Barrios, a Cuban native who's called Louisville home for 17 years, echoes the concern.
"It's not only the Cubans in Kentucky, but the Cubans in the United States, because all of them need asylum," he said.
The call from the Cuban community is for Secretary Mayorkas to grant all Cuban immigrants coming into the country humanitarian parole status to strengthen the pathway to citizenship.
We're told Louisville has the third fastest-growing Cuban population in the country, behind Miami and Las Vegas.
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