Cuban man, 83, deported to Mexico unable to access retirement payments after phone confiscated
2025·Location: Villahermosa, Tabasco
Country of origin: Cuba

Ernesto, an 83-year-old Cuban man, the oldest person interviewed by Human Rights Watch, was deported to Villahermosa, Mexico. His mobile phone was confiscated by US immigration authorities, cutting off access to his mobile banking app and his private retirement payments. Without family support in Mexico and no way to access his funds, he was staying at the Amparito shelter and was unsure how he would sustain himself after leaving.
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