Trump Administration Returns Child from Cuba

The Trump administration took the unusual step of sending a government plane to Cuba to return a 10-year-old from United States — Utah, who was at the center of a contentious custody fight involving gender identity. The child's parent, Rose Inessa-Ethington, a transgender woman, is accused of taking the child to Cuba without the biological mother's permission. Rose Inessa-Ethington and her partner, Blue Inessa-Ethington, were arrested and charged in the United States with international parental kidnapping. They traveled with the child to Canada, then to Mexico, and finally to Cuba on April 1. Concerns were raised by a family member that Rose Inessa-Ethington intended to seek gender transition surgery for the child in Cuba, although such surgery is not legal for minors there. The United States — Federal Bureau of Investigation found evidence of Blue Inessa-Ethington withdrawing $10,000 and a note from a therapist regarding gender-affirming care. The United States — United States Department of Justice's use of a government plane aligns with the Donald Trump administration's broader efforts to limit gender-affirming care for minors. Cuban law enforcement located the group, and they were deported to the United States and arraigned in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. The child was returned to the biological mother in United States — Utah. The custody dispute between the parents has been ongoing for several years.