Cuban immigrant costs county $400K

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

He came to the United States from Cuba, and since he's been here, he's racked up an extensive criminal record, police say.

When he suffered a stroke following a recent arrest, his medical bills hit $400,000. Now, he's paralyzed and in a wheelchair. He needs to be in a nursing home.

So what's next for the suspected criminal that's in the country illegally? It's tough to say.

But one thing's for sure. Douglas County cannot afford to spend any more money on the man, whose last arrest was for cocaine trafficking. The sheriff's office had to ask the county commission recently for more money to cover the man's medical bill.

While much of the debate over illegal immigration has focused on younger populations and students, the Douglas County case focuses specifically on an older man, in his late 60s. The sheriff's office declined to release the man's name due to medical privacy laws.

"While he was in custody, he had a massive stroke which required immediate hospitalization," Chief Deputy Stan Copeland with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office told the AJC.

Following his arrest, he was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Copeland said.

For several weeks, the man was in a coma, Copeland said. Now he requires constant care because he is paralyzed, but without any type of insurance, Copeland says no facility will take him.

Douglas County officials contacted immigration officials, but were told the man could not be deported.

"He's Cuban, and you can't deport Cubans," Copeland said.

Roswell attorney Joseph Rosen, who specializes in immigration laws, said the U.S. does not deport people back to Cuba, regardless of the circumstances.

The Douglas County District Attorney eventually dropped charges because of the inmate's deteriorated condition, Copeland said. The county is off the hook, but that comes after thousands of taxpayer dollars have already been spent on one man's care.

"He was a tax burden for us being in custody," Chief Deputy Stan Copeland with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office told the AJC. "But even after the fact, now what happens?”