Who is El Funky? The pro-Trump Cuban rapper facing deportation with just 30 days left
Eliéxer Márquez Duany, the Cuban rapper known as El Funky, is now facing possible deportation from the United States, despite his outspoken support for Donald Trump and his role in creating the powerful protest anthem Patria y Vida. The 2021 song, which criticized Cuba's communist regime, gained international attention and even inspired U.S. lawmakers like Senator Marco Rubio to introduce legislation in its name. Now, the pro-Trump artist finds himself at the center of an immigration battle.
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The cruel irony hit El Funky after his residency application was denied under he 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act. The rapper took the matter on Facebook, where he shared that he will be deported in 30 days. He posted a photo of himself holding a signboard which read 'SOS Cuba.'
Along with the picture, in the caption, he wrote, 'I have 30 days to leave the country or I will be deported." He continued," I ask all my Cuban brothers and sisters who know of my anti-communist history and the members of Congress of this country, who need your support more than ever today,' as reported by the Daily Mail.
Since arriving in the U.S., Márquez Duany has married a Cuban-American woman, secured steady work, and continued his music career. The rapper's bid for legal residency hit a snag during a period of shifting immigration policies, particularly when the Trump administration tightened access to protections previously granted under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
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Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar of Florida has been the only prominent figure to advocate for El Funky's case, stating that there has been some progress. She told Politico, 'El Funky is a political refugee who deserves the full protection of U.S. immigration law. We are working with the USCIS to ensure they understand the serious risk of torture and political persecution he faces if returned to Cuba.'
Salazar also said that despite receiving no public backing from the Trump camp, the rapper's support for the former president remains unchanged. The rapper said, 'If I could vote, I would have voted for Trump. He's the strongest president when it comes to Cuba.'
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