Cuban man seeks political asylum, friends call for his release from South Dock detention center

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – March 8, 2018 – Political asylum is being requested by a Cuban man currently being detained by the Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Immigration at the South Dock Road detention center.

The 44 year old has been in the Turks and Caicos for over five years according to friends of the detainee and he has reportedly been in and out of Immigration detainment for months after he was found living and working in the country without the proper documents.  The Cuban man had been released during the hurricane, reporting regularly to the department.

Friends say Rubier Quezada Gonzalez is a nice man and that at one time he had been allowed to check into the Immigration Department every few days, but all of a sudden that changed and Gonzalez was suddenly locked up and has been living in the detention center for about two months now.  

Immigration Director, Derek Been responded to Magnetic Media’s questions on the detention, including why Rubier Gonzalez has been held for so many months and when he would appear before a court of law to be formally charged.

Our media house, at that time learned that this was not a simple case of repatriation because Gonzalez was claiming a more serious reason for why he fled his homeland.  Mr. Been said this:

“I can confirm that a Cuban National is being detained. He is an asylum case, which is being processed. He currently does not have any legal status within the Turks and Caicos Islands. The detention matter is under consideration.  The case is not one involving repatriation and deportation as this stage.”  

Friends of Mr. Gonzalez are grieved at his arrest and lock up and have shared with Magnetic Media that he should be released from the detention center and allowed to continue with a system previously at work while the political asylum claim is being processed.

Rubier Gonzalez had been permitted a three times weekly check in with the Immigration Department for verification; the Director, in his reply to our news organization, admits that the matter of his detention is under review.