Judge orders SUNY Upstate employee deported to Ecuador
Jan 22, 2026·Location: Syracuse, NY
Country of origin: Cuba
An immigration court judge ordered SUNY Upstate Hospital employee Yan Vazquez to be deported to Ecuador. Vazquez and his husband Alex Gonzalez, both from Cuba, filed for asylum based on persecution related to their sexuality and were in the process of becoming permanent U.S. citizens when they were detained by ICE agents in October.
Timeline
Jan 22, 2026—Immigration court judge orders Yan Vazquez deported to Ecuador despite no ties to country.
Oct 1, 2025—ICE detains Yan Vazquez and Alex Gonzalez; asylum proceedings initiated based on persecution related to sexuality.
Sources
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