Latest news with #Cuban-Americans
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Trump's immigration crackdown unnerves Cuban exiles long shielded from deportation
MIAMI: Immigration officials said Tomás Hernández worked in high-level posts for Cuba's foreign intelligence agency for decades before migrating to the United States to pursue the American dream. The 71-year-old was detained by federal agents outside his Miami-area home in March and accused of hiding his ties to Cuba's Communist Party when he obtained permanent residency. Cuban-Americans in South Florida have long clamored for a firmer hand with Havana and the recent apprehensions of Hernández and several other former Cuban officials for deportation have been extremely popular among the politically powerful exile community. 'It's a political gift to Cuban-American hardliners,' said Eduardo Gamarra, a Latin American expert at Florida International University. But many Cubans fear they could be next on Trump's list, he said, and 'some in the community see it as a betrayal.' Some pleased among Trump fans, others worried While President Donald Trump's mass deportation pledge has frightened migrants from many nations, it has come as something of a shock to the 2.4 million Cuban-Americans, who strongly backed the Republican twice and have long enjoyed a place of privilege in the U.S. immigration system. Amid record arrivals of migrants from the Caribbean island, Trump in March revoked temporary humanitarian parole for about 300,000 Cubans. Many have been detained ahead of possible deportation. Among those facing deportation is a pro-Trump Cuban rapper behind a hit song 'Patria y Vida' — 'Homeland and Life' — that became the unofficial anthem of anti-communist protests on the island in 2021 and drew praise from the likes of then Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State. Eliéxer Márquez, who raps under the name El Funky, said he received notice this month that he had 30 days to leave the U.S. Thanks to Cold War laws aimed at removing Fidel Castro, Cuban migrants for many decades enjoyed almost automatic refugee status in the U.S. and could obtain green cards a year after entry, unlike migrants from virtually every other country. Support for Trump among likely Cuban-American voters in Miami was at an all-time high on the eve of last year's election, according to a poll by Florida International University, which has been tracking the Cuban-American community since 1991. Trump rarely mentions Cubans in his attacks on migrant targets including Venezuelans and Haitians. That has given many Cubans hope that they will remain immune to immigration enforcement actions. Politics of a crackdown Democrats, meanwhile, have been trying to turn the immigration crackdown to their advantage. In April, grassroots groups erected two giant billboards on Miami highways calling Rubio and Republican Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez 'traitors' to the Cuban-American community for failing to protect tens of thousands of migrants from Trump's immigration policies. The arrest of former Cuban state agents is one way to bolster Trump allies, Gamarra said. In March, Giménez sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a letter with the names of 108 people he said were former Cuban state agents or Communist Party officials living unlawfully in the U.S. 'It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security enforce existing U.S. laws to identify, deport and repatriate these individuals who pose a direct threat to our national security, the integrity of our immigration system and the safety of Cuban exiles and American citizens alike,' Giménez wrote, adding that the U.S. remains a "beacon of hope and freedom for those escaping tyranny.' A mission to topple the government Giménez's target list was compiled by Luis Dominguez, who left Cuba in 1971 and has made it his mission to topple Cuba's government. In 2009, when the internet was still a novelty in Cuba, Dominguez said he posed as a 27-year-old female sports journalist from Colombia to lure Castro's son Antonio into an online romance. 'Some people dream with making money, or with growing old and going on vacation,' said Dominguez, who lives in Connecticut. 'I dream with seeing my country free.'
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Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Trump's immigration crackdown unnerves Cubans shielded from deportation
Immigration officials said Tomas Hernandez worked in high-level posts for Cuba's foreign intelligence agency for decades before migrating to the US to pursue the American dream. The 71-year-old was detained by federal agents outside his Miami-area home in March and accused of hiding his ties to Cuba's Communist Party when he obtained permanent residency. Cuban-Americans in South Florida have long clamoured for a firmer hand with Havana and the recent apprehensions of Hernandez and several other former Cuban officials for deportation have been extremely popular among the politically powerful exile community. It's a political gift to Cuban-American hardliners, said Eduardo Gamarra, a Latin American expert at Florida International University. But many Cubans fear they could be next on Trump's list, he said, and some in the community see it as a betrayal. Some pleased among Trump fans, others worried While President Donald Trump's mass deportation pledge has frightened migrants from many nations, it has come as something of a shock to the 2.4 million Cuban-Americans, who strongly backed the Republican twice and have long enjoyed a place of privilege in the US immigration system. Amid record arrivals of migrants from the Caribbean island, Trump in March revoked temporary humanitarian parole for about 300,000 Cubans. Many have been detained ahead of possible deportation. Among those facing deportation is a pro-Trump Cuban rapper behind a hit song Patria y Vida -- Homeland and Life -- that became the unofficial anthem of anti-communist protests on the island in 2021 and drew praise from the likes of then Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State. Eliexer Marquez, who raps under the name El Funky, said he received notice this month that he had 30 days to leave the US. Thanks to Cold War laws aimed at removing Fidel Castro, Cuban migrants for many decades enjoyed almost automatic refugee status in the US and could obtain green cards a year after entry, unlike migrants from virtually every other country. Support for Trump among likely Cuban-American voters in Miami was at an all-time high on the eve of last year's election, according to a poll by Florida International University, which has been tracking the Cuban-American community since 1991. Trump rarely mentions Cubans in his attacks on migrant targets including Venezuelans and Haitians. That has given many Cubans hope that they will remain immune to immigration enforcement actions. Politics of a crackdown Democrats, meanwhile, have been trying to turn the immigration crackdown to their advantage. In April, grassroots groups erected two giant billboards on Miami highways calling Rubio and Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez traitors to the Cuban-American community for failing to protect tens of thousands of migrants from Trump's immigration policies. The arrest of former Cuban state agents is one way to bolster Trump allies, Gamarra said. In March, Gimnez sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a letter with the names of 108 people he said were former Cuban state agents or Communist Party officials living unlawfully in the US. It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security enforce existing US laws to identify, deport and repatriate these individuals who pose a direct threat to our national security, the integrity of our immigration system and the safety of Cuban exiles and American citizens alike, Gimenez wrote, adding that the US remains a "beacon of hope and freedom for those escaping tyranny. A mission to topple the government Gimenez's target list was compiled by Luis Dominguez, who left Cuba in 1971 and has made it his mission to topple Cuba's government. In 2009, when the internet was still a novelty in Cuba, Dominguez said he posed as a 27-year-old female sports journalist from Colombia to lure Castro's son Antonio into an online romance. Some people dream with making money, or with growing old and going on vacation, said Dominguez, who lives in Connecticut. I dream with seeing my country free. With support from the right-wing Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, he started combing social media and relying on a well-oiled network of anti-socialist sources, inside Cuba and outside the country, to dox officials allegedly behind human rights abuses and violations of democratic norms. To date, his website, Represores Cubanos -- Cuban Repressors -- has identified more than 1,200 such state agents, some 150 in the US. They're chasing the American dream, but previously they condemned it while pursuing the Cuban dream, Dominguez said. "It's the typical double life of any Communist regime. When they were in power they criticised anything about the US. But now that they're here, they love it." Dominguez, 62, said he regularly shares his findings with federal law enforcement but a spokesman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn't comment on the agency's relationship with the activist. An elite spy department Enrique Garcia, a former colleague, said he studied with Hernandez in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. Upon their return, Hernandez was sent to work in the spy agency's elite North America department, said Garcia. Garcia, who defected to the US in the 1990s and has devoted himself to helping American spy catchers unmask Cuban agents, said one-time Cuban agents have infiltrated the current migration wave while hiding their past and even current loyalties to the Cuban government. You can't be on both sides at the same time, he said. It's not known when Hernandez entered the US and why US immigration law generally bars people who've belonged to Communist parties. Anyone caught lying on their green card application can be deported or prosecuted. But removing Cubans who are no longer welcome in the US could prove challenging. The Trump administration sends a single 60-passenger plane to Cuba every month as part of its deportation drive, unchanged from the past year's average, according to Witness at the Border, which tracks removal flights. At that rate, it would take almost 700 years to send back the estimated 500,000 Cubans who arrived during the Biden administration and now lack protected status. Crackdown on loyal fans At Versailles Restaurant, the epicenter of Miami's Little Havana, few among its anti-Communist clientele seemed poised to turn on Trump, who visited the iconic cafe twice during the recent presidential campaign. One regular retiree, 83-year-old Rafael Nieto, even wore a giant Trump 2024 hat and pin. Most of the aging exiles applauded Trump's migration crackdown overhaul but there were a few cracks in the GOP armour. As the late afternoon banter switched between talk of CIA plots to assassinate Castro and President John F. Kennedy's failure to provide air cover during the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, one retiree stood up and quietly stepped away from his friends. People are trembling, Tony Freitas, who came to the US from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift, said in a hushed voice. For any little thing, you could be deported. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Cubans have obviously seen this (American) movie before
Opinion It's really hard to talk about Cuba today and not include a crucial discussion of the 'U.S. factor.' Ever since 1959, official Washington has sought to destabilize the Cuban government because of what it stands for socially — and for its commission of the unforgivable sin of openly defying the U.S. in the region. Now, it is true that most Cubans have better things to do than to lie awake at night and worry about what U.S. President Donald Trump is going to do next. They have worries and serious concerns that are much closer to home — namely, dealing with life's many daily challenges in Cuba. I was anxious, though, to ask just about anyone whom I could find during my early May visit to Cuba about the impact of the new Trump administration. Not surprisingly, there was no shortage of opinions. But their individual responses were generally circumspect, matter-of-fact and almost nonchalant. Mark Schiefelbein / The Association Press, Pool U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already made it clear that he plans to expand U.S. actions against Cuba. It is important to remember that during his first term as president, Trump implemented over 240 punitive measures against the Cuban government. That level of obsession and vengefulness has continued over the course of his first 100 days in office of Trump's second term. Within his first week, he had signed an executive order placing Cuba back on the U.S. State Department's list of countries — after former U.S. president Joe Biden had removed Cuba from that list during his last week in power — allegedly sponsoring acts of terrorism in the world. One Cuban friend was incredulous and animated about this specific move by Trump. As he said to me pointedly on a trip into Havana: 'Take a look around. Does this look like a people and a country that would have anything to do with international terrorism? It's crazy.' Another early Trump measure was to cancel a humanitarian parole program for Cubans (and others) seeking to enter the U.S. through legal channels. His White House is doing everything humanly possible, notwithstanding the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act which is supposed to facilitate Cuban migration, to keep Cubans from seeking a better life in America. Moreover, there are plenty of rumours flying around Washington that Trump is actively contemplating imposing a comprehensive travel ban on Cubans seeking to enter the U.S. He has already announced the imposition of travel visa restrictions on governments (and their officials) that utilize much-needed health-care services from Cuban doctors and other medical professionals (known widely as Cuban medical internationalism or doctor diplomacy). There is even talk of Trump slashing remittance payments/monies to the island from Cuban-Americans, cracking down on U.S. companies that are doing business with private sector entities in Cuba and further tightening the U.S. economic blockade of the island. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Trump sought to cut off as much of Cuba's oil imports, such as they are, as he can. Likely targets for U.S. economic sanctions would be oil-producing countries such as Venezuela, Algeria and Angola — all loyal friends of Cuba. I could also easily see Trump approaching/pressuring Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian to halt all of their energy supplies to Cuba. With Cuba barely able to provide 30 per cent of its own petroleum needs, and non-renewable sources in their infancy, such a move would be devastating to the island's people. It would have profound implications for the country's industrial base, its agricultural sector and daily living conditions. Another Cuban who spoke with me fully expected that things would get worse under Trump. But he, too, was largely unfazed about the whole matter. 'Trump is going to do what he wants to do. We can't change that,' he said calmly. Significantly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not tried to hide the fact that he is hellbent on making life even more difficult for the Cuban people. He is already on record as saying that he is determined to execute 'a tough Cuba policy.' His central objective, of course, is to remove the Cuban government from power through whatever means possible. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. His most recent action was to blacklist Havana by claiming that Cuba has not fully co-operated with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2024. (It is worth noting that the previous Biden White House had certified in May 2024 that Cuba was co-operating with the U.S. on anti-terrorism activities.) By doing so, the U.S. is seeking to delegitimize the Cuban government and to deter other countries from engaging diplomatically and economically with Cuba. One Cuban hotel worker had already resigned himself to the view that 'we're just going to have to wait things out for four years.' Besides, he went on to add, 'we've done it before.' One other Cuban acquaintance concluded the following: 'Trump has threatened to make things worse. But he can't make things any worse than they are now. What more can he do? He can't hurt us anymore.' I only wish that were true. Peter McKenna is professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump's immigration crackdown unnerves Cuban exiles long shielded from deportation
MIAMI (AP) — Immigration officials said Tomás Hernández worked in high-level posts for Cuba's foreign intelligence agency for decades before migrating to the United States to pursue the American dream. The 71-year-old was detained by federal agents outside his Miami-area home in March and accused of hiding his ties to Cuba's Communist Party when he obtained permanent residency. Cuban-Americans in South Florida have long clamored for a firmer hand with Havana and the recent apprehensions of Hernández and several other former Cuban officials for deportation have been extremely popular among the politically powerful exile community. 'It's a political gift to Cuban-American hardliners,' said Eduardo Gamarra, a Latin American expert at Florida International University. But many Cubans fear they could be next on Trump's list, he said, and 'some in the community see it as a betrayal.' Some pleased among Trump fans, others worried While President Donald Trump's mass deportation pledge has frightened migrants from many nations, it has come as something of a shock to the 2.4 million Cuban-Americans, who strongly backed the Republican twice and have long enjoyed a place of privilege in the U.S. immigration system. Amid record arrivals of migrants from the Caribbean island, Trump in March revoked temporary humanitarian parole for about 300,000 Cubans. Many have been detained ahead of possible deportation. Among those facing deportation is a pro-Trump Cuban rapper behind a hit song 'Patria y Vida' — 'Homeland and Life' — that became the unofficial anthem of anti-communist protests on the island in 2021 and drew praise from the likes of then Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State. Eliéxer Márquez, who raps under the name El Funky, said he received notice this month that he had 30 days to leave the U.S. Thanks to Cold War laws aimed at removing Fidel Castro, Cuban migrants for many decades enjoyed almost automatic refugee status in the U.S. and could obtain green cards a year after entry, unlike migrants from virtually every other country. Support for Trump among likely Cuban-American voters in Miami was at an all-time high on the eve of last year's election, according to a poll by Florida International University, which has been tracking the Cuban-American community since 1991. Trump rarely mentions Cubans in his attacks on migrant targets including Venezuelans and Haitians. That has given many Cubans hope that they will remain immune to immigration enforcement actions. Politics of a crackdown Democrats, meanwhile, have been trying to turn the immigration crackdown to their advantage. In April, grassroots groups erected two giant billboards on Miami highways calling Rubio and Republican Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez 'traitors' to the Cuban-American community for failing to protect tens of thousands of migrants from Trump's immigration policies. The arrest of former Cuban state agents is one way to bolster Trump allies, Gamarra said. In March, Giménez sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a letter with the names of 108 people he said were former Cuban state agents or Communist Party officials living unlawfully in the U.S. 'It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security enforce existing U.S. laws to identify, deport and repatriate these individuals who pose a direct threat to our national security, the integrity of our immigration system and the safety of Cuban exiles and American citizens alike,' Giménez wrote, adding that the U.S. remains a "beacon of hope and freedom for those escaping tyranny.' A mission to topple the government Giménez's target list was compiled by Luis Dominguez, who left Cuba in 1971 and has made it his mission to topple Cuba's government. In 2009, when the internet was still a novelty in Cuba, Dominguez said he posed as a 27-year-old female sports journalist from Colombia to lure Castro's son Antonio into an online romance. 'Some people dream with making money, or with growing old and going on vacation,' said Dominguez, who lives in Connecticut. 'I dream with seeing my country free.' With support from the right-wing Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, he started combing social media and relying on a well-oiled network of anti-socialist sources, inside Cuba and outside the country, to dox officials allegedly behind human rights abuses and violations of democratic norms. To date, his website, Represores Cubanos — Cuban Repressors — has identified more than 1,200 such state agents, some 150 in the United States. 'They're chasing the American dream, but previously they condemned it while pursuing the Cuban dream,' Dominguez said. "It's the typical double life of any Communist regime. When they were in power they criticized anything about the U.S. But now that they're here, they love it." Dominguez, 62, said he regularly shares his findings with federal law enforcement but a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn't comment on the agency's relationship with the activist. An elite spy department Enrique Garcia, a former colleague, said he studied with Hernández in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. Upon their return, Hernández was sent to work in the spy agency's elite 'North America' department, said Garcia. Garcia, who defected to the U.S. in the 1990s and has devoted himself to helping American spy catchers unmask Cuban agents, said one-time Cuban agents have infiltrated the current migration wave while hiding their past and even current loyalties to the Cuban government. 'You can't be on both sides at the same time,' he said. It's not known when Hernández entered the U.S. and why. U.S. immigration law generally bars people who've belonged to Communist parties. Anyone caught lying on their green card application can be deported or prosecuted. But removing Cubans who are no longer welcome in the U.S. could prove challenging. The Trump administration sends a single 60-passenger plane to Cuba every month as part of its deportation drive, unchanged from the past year's average, according to Witness at the Border, which tracks removal flights. At that rate, it would take almost 700 years to send back the estimated 500,000 Cubans who arrived during the Biden administration and now lack protected status. Crackdown on loyal fans At Versailles Restaurant, the epicenter of Miami's Little Havana, few among its anti-Communist clientele seemed poised to turn on Trump, who visited the iconic cafe twice during the recent presidential campaign. One regular retiree, 83-year-old Rafael Nieto, even wore a giant Trump 2024 hat and pin. Most of the aging exiles applauded Trump's migration crackdown overhaul but there were a few cracks in the GOP armor. As the late afternoon banter switched between talk of CIA plots to assassinate Castro and President John F. Kennedy's failure to provide air cover during the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, one retiree stood up and quietly stepped away from his friends. 'People are trembling,' Tony Freitas, who came to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift, said in a hushed voice. 'For any little thing, you could be deported.'
Hamilton Spectator
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump's immigration crackdown unnerves Cuban exiles long shielded from deportation
MIAMI (AP) — Immigration officials said Tomás Hernández worked in high-level posts for Cuba's foreign intelligence agency for decades before migrating to the United States to pursue the American dream. The 71-year-old was detained by federal agents outside his Miami-area home in March and accused of hiding his ties to Cuba's Communist Party when he obtained permanent residency. Cuban-Americans in South Florida have long clamored for a firmer hand with Havana and the recent apprehensions of Hernández and several other former Cuban officials for deportation have been extremely popular among the politically powerful exile community. 'It's a political gift to Cuban-American hardliners,' said Eduardo Gamarra, a Latin American expert at Florida International University. But many Cubans fear they could be next on Trump's list, he said, and 'some in the community see it as a betrayal.' Some pleased among Trump fans, others worried While President Donald Trump's mass deportation pledge has frightened migrants from many nations, it has come as something of a shock to the 2.4 million Cuban-Americans, who strongly backed the Republican twice and have long enjoyed a place of privilege in the U.S. immigration system. Amid record arrivals of migrants from the Caribbean island, Trump in March revoked temporary humanitarian parole for about 300,000 Cubans. Many have been detained ahead of possible deportation. Among those facing deportation is a pro-Trump Cuban rapper behind a hit song 'Patria y Vida' — 'Homeland and Life' — that became the unofficial anthem of anti-communist protests on the island in 2021 and drew praise from the likes of then Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, now Secretary of State. Eliéxer Márquez, who raps under the name El Funky, said he received notice this month that he had 30 days to leave the U.S. Thanks to Cold War laws aimed at removing Fidel Castro , Cuban migrants for many decades enjoyed almost automatic refugee status in the U.S. and could obtain green cards a year after entry, unlike migrants from virtually every other country. Support for Trump among likely Cuban-American voters in Miami was at an all-time high on the eve of last year's election, according to a poll by Florida International University, which has been tracking the Cuban-American community since 1991. Trump rarely mentions Cubans in his attacks on migrant targets including Venezuelans and Haitians. That has given many Cubans hope that they will remain immune to immigration enforcement actions. Politics of a crackdown Democrats, meanwhile, have been trying to turn the immigration crackdown to their advantage. In April, grassroots groups erected two giant billboards on Miami highways calling Rubio and Republican Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez 'traitors' to the Cuban-American community for failing to protect tens of thousands of migrants from Trump's immigration policies. The arrest of former Cuban state agents is one way to bolster Trump allies, Gamarra said. In March, Giménez sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a letter with the names of 108 people he said were former Cuban state agents or Communist Party officials living unlawfully in the U.S. 'It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security enforce existing U.S. laws to identify, deport and repatriate these individuals who pose a direct threat to our national security, the integrity of our immigration system and the safety of Cuban exiles and American citizens alike,' Giménez wrote, adding that the U.S. remains a 'beacon of hope and freedom for those escaping tyranny.' A mission to topple the government Giménez's target list was compiled by Luis Dominguez, who left Cuba in 1971 and has made it his mission to topple Cuba's government. In 2009, when the internet was still a novelty in Cuba, Dominguez said he posed as a 27-year-old female sports journalist from Colombia to lure Castro's son Antonio into an online romance. 'Some people dream with making money, or with growing old and going on vacation,' said Dominguez, who lives in Connecticut. 'I dream with seeing my country free.' With support from the right-wing Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, he started combing social media and relying on a well-oiled network of anti-socialist sources, inside Cuba and outside the country, to dox officials allegedly behind human rights abuses and violations of democratic norms. To date, his website, Represores Cubanos — Cuban Repressors — has identified more than 1,200 such state agents, some 150 in the United States. 'They're chasing the American dream, but previously they condemned it while pursuing the Cuban dream,' Dominguez said. 'It's the typical double life of any Communist regime. When they were in power they criticized anything about the U.S. But now that they're here, they love it.' Dominguez, 62, said he regularly shares his findings with federal law enforcement but a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn't comment on the agency's relationship with the activist. An elite spy department Enrique Garcia, a former colleague, said he studied with Hernández in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s. Upon their return, Hernández was sent to work in the spy agency's elite 'North America' department, said Garcia. Garcia, who defected to the U.S. in the 1990s and has devoted himself to helping American spy catchers unmask Cuban agents, said one-time Cuban agents have infiltrated the current migration wave while hiding their past and even current loyalties to the Cuban government. 'You can't be on both sides at the same time,' he said. It's not known when Hernández entered the U.S. and why. U.S. immigration law generally bars people who've belonged to Communist parties. Anyone caught lying on their green card application can be deported or prosecuted. But removing Cubans who are no longer welcome in the U.S. could prove challenging. The Trump administration sends a single 60-passenger plane to Cuba every month as part of its deportation drive, unchanged from the past year's average, according to Witness at the Border, which tracks removal flights. At that rate, it would take almost 700 years to send back the estimated 500,000 Cubans who arrived during the Biden administration and now lack protected status. Crackdown on loyal fans At Versailles Restaurant, the epicenter of Miami's Little Havana, few among its anti-Communist clientele seemed poised to turn on Trump, who visited the iconic cafe twice during the recent presidential campaign. One regular retiree, 83-year-old Rafael Nieto, even wore a giant Trump 2024 hat and pin. Most of the aging exiles applauded Trump's migration crackdown overhaul but there were a few cracks in the GOP armor. As the late afternoon banter switched between talk of CIA plots to assassinate Castro and President John F. Kennedy's failure to provide air cover during the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, one retiree stood up and quietly stepped away from his friends. 'People are trembling,' Tony Freitas, who came to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift, said in a hushed voice. 'For any little thing, you could be deported.' ___ AP journalist Gisela Salomon contributed to this report.
