An immigration judge has ordered that Yannier Vazquez Hidalgo, a North Syracuse man from Cuba who works at SUNY Upstate Medical University, be deported to Ecuador, a country he has no ties to.

Last week, a different judge ruled that Hidalgo’s husband, Alicbiades “Alex” Lazaro Ramirez Gonzalez, should also be deported to Ecuador.

The men fled Cuba and got married in the U.S., building a life in Central New York. They were detained by federal agents in October when they checked in for a routine appointment at ICE offices in Mattydale.

Both had requested asylum in the U.S. and had recently passed an immigration test required to prove there is a credible threat to their lives in Cuba because they are gay, their relatives said.

Now, the couple argues they will be persecuted in Ecuador because they are gay and Cuban. Tap the link in our bio to read the full story.

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1, 3: @nstrimble
2, 4: Provided