Latest news with #CubanAdjustmentAct
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cuban-Americans no longer protected as Trump deportation policy bites hard
In March 2025, federal agents detained 71-year-old Tomás Hernández outside his residence in the Miami area. Authorities allege that Hernández, who previously held senior positions within Cuba's foreign intelligence agency, concealed his affiliations with the Communist Party during his US residency application process. Cuban-American community reacts to deportation measures The apprehension of Hernández and other former Cuban officials has elicited mixed reactions within South Florida's Cuban-American community. While some view the actions as necessary for national security, others perceive them as a betrayal, especially given the community's historical support for Republican policies. Also read: Donald Trump's immigration crackdown backfires as key Republican voter base feels the heat from program's termination Revocation of humanitarian protections for Cuban migrants In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration revoked temporary humanitarian parole for approximately 300,000 Cuban migrants in March 2025. This move has left many individuals vulnerable to detention and potential deportation, disrupting the lives of those who had previously been granted protection under earlier immigration frameworks. Live Events Among those affected is Eliéxer Márquez, known as El Funky, a Cuban rapper recognized for his anti-communist anthem "Patria y Vida." Despite his vocal support for President Trump, Márquez received notice in April 2025 to depart the US within 30 days, underscoring the broad reach of the administration's immigration policies. Since the enactment of the Cuban Adjustment Act in 1966, Cuban immigrants have benefited from expedited pathways to US residency. This preferential treatment distinguished them from other migrant groups, fostering a sense of security that is now being challenged by recent policy changes. Also read: Trump touts immigration crackdown despite concerns about due process The intensified deportation efforts have sparked political debates, with some Republican leaders advocating for stricter enforcement against former Cuban state agents. Conversely, grassroots organizations and Democratic figures have criticized the measures, arguing they undermine the trust and contributions of the Cuban-American community. Despite policy intentions, logistical hurdles persist. The US currently conducts one deportation flight to Cuba per month, accommodating approximately 60 individuals. Given the estimated 500,000 Cubans who arrived during the Biden administration without protected status, the deportation process faces significant delays and complications. Also read: US Immigration Crackdown | 350,000 Venezuelans face deportation risk as Trump gets SC nod Activists like Luis Dominguez have taken proactive roles in identifying former Cuban state agents residing in the US. Through platforms like Represores Cubanos, Dominguez has compiled lists of individuals allegedly involved in past human rights abuses, sharing this information with federal authorities to aid enforcement actions.
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.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
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. Also Read: What Sean Diddy Combs is eating in jail on Memorial Day 2025? 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. Also Read: 'Can't believe this is me'; Rosie O'Donnell stuns fans with drastic weight loss from Mounjaro, what is it? 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.'
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
ICE agents in Miami find new spot to carry out arrests: Immigration court
Federal agents in plain clothes staked out the hallways of Miami's downtown immigration courthouse for hours and arrested at least four unsuspecting men as they walked out of courtrooms on Wednesday. Miami Herald reporters witnessed how Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers sat in on run-of-the-mill immigration proceedings and followed the men outside the courtrooms after their hearings wrapped up. Then, a group of about 10 other ICE agents, also in plain clothes, caught them off guard in the hallway. The agents identified themselves in Spanish before handcuffing each of the men and escorting them to a van outside. 'I am not afraid,' a Cuban man said to his wife and daughter as ICE agents arrested him. In each case, Department of Homeland Security attorneys moved to drop the deportation cases before immigration judges. That is important because ICE cannot place someone in expedited removal proceedings — an administrative process that doesn't require a judge and that the government uses to quickly deport people — if they have a pending case in court. READ MORE: Where fates are decided: Miami's immigration courts are microcosm of South Florida The arrests in Miami come as lawyers elsewhere across the country, including Las Vegas, New York City, Phoenix and Los Angeles, reported similar arrests. While those ICE detentions in immigration court have happened previously, particularly under the Bush administration, they usually targeted immigrants with criminal records. In one case Wednesday, immigration court Judge Rico Sogocio, after granting Homeland Security's motion to dismiss the said, told a Cuban man to request a parole document. The man said in court that he had submitted his green card application under the decades-old Cuban Adjustment Act. The man's family later told the Herald he had entered the country with an I-220A, a document given at the border that generally cannot be used to get permanent residency under the decades-old legislation that allows Cubans who are in the U.S for a year and a day to get a green card. Once the man stepped out of the courtroom with his wife and daughter, a group of ICE agents approached him and told him he was being placed in custody. His wife and daughter, who declined to share their names with the Herald, told the agents he had an ongoing green card application process and needed his diabetes medication. An officer told his daughter he would call her by the end of day and answer any questions. Another said her father would be processed in Miramar, where an ICE field office is located. 'He is not illegal. I want to understand,' his daughter told officers with a distressed look on her face. Moments later, a Cuban man who entered the U.S. through the Mexican border in 2021 was also handcuffed by a team of ICE agents. The judge had closed the man's case after the government requested the dismissal, which ended his pending asylum case. During his hearing, a judge recommended that the man hire an attorney to seek asylum and told him his case could now be funneled through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, shortly before he was taken into custody by ICE. READ MORE: Where fates are decided: Miami's immigration courts are microcosm of South Florida Another man, whose nationality was not mentioned during his hearing, was followed out by an agent in plainclothes from the courtroom. When he entered the elevator, at least 10 ICE agents crowded him. Minutes later, a Miami Herald reporter witnessed a van with the arrested men leaving the courthouse. The immigration officers waited for hours in the hallways of the immigration court as the hearings took place, chit-chatting and cracking jokes among themselves. Some had handcuffs visible in their waistbands. The arrests in the late morning and early afternoon were focused on two courtrooms. There were also families and unaccompanied minors present at their proceedings. An ICE spokesperson told the Herald it was looking into the matter but did not provide details about the arrests as of Wednesday afternoon. READ MORE: Trump targets Biden-era migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti for deportation The reason behind Wednesday's arrests at immigration court is unclear. The Herald does not know if the men detained have criminal records. But several immigration attorneys told the Herald they believe the arrests are being driven by a Homeland Security memo from January directing ICE agents to consider putting immigrants in expedited removal proceedings if they have been in the U.S. for less than two years. Expedited removals are deportation proceedings that are administrative and don't require a judge. 'Take all steps necessary to review the alien's case and consider, in exercising your enforcement discretion, whether to apply expedited removal. This may include steps to terminate any ongoing removal proceeding,' the DHS memo says. Lawyers had previously told the Herald the memo could lead to agents showing up at immigration court, and called it a 'tool for mass deportation.' 'In my opinion, they are taking removal cases out of the docket... to put it on expedited removal, which is a lot faster,' said Antonio Ramos, an immigration attorney whose office is based in the downtown immigration court building. Ramos urged people with pending cases to seek legal counsel and request virtual hearings to avoid unnecessary exposure at in-person court dates. But Ramos said the agents outside the courtroom know exactly who they are going to detain – and have warrants on hand. The agents outside the courtrooms, he said, are part of a task force comprised of different agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tampa woman deported to Cuba after normal check-in at immigration office
The Brief A Tampa woman was deported to Cuba after a normal check-in at the immigration office. Heidy Sanchez was among more than dozens of migrants sent on a plane from Miami to Cuba last week as part of the trump administration's crackdown on migrants in the U.S. Her husband, Valle, said he met with Tampa U. S. Representative Kathy Castor on Friday to share his story. TAMPA - A normal check-in at the immigration office ended with a Tampa family being ripped apart, following a mother's deportation to Cuba. Heidy Sanchez was among more than dozens of migrants sent on a plane from Miami to Cuba last week as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on migrants in the U.S. Her husband, Carlos Yuniel Valle, is a U.S. citizen, and he said they are fighting for his wife's return. She left behind her husband and one-year-old baby girl Kaeleyn, who is nursing and has health conditions. Valle said they were in the middle of getting her status to stay in the country, but that process is now on hold. He said his wife's deportation did not give her due process. The last time they were all together was on Tuesday, April 22. What they're saying "We have lived very normal lives. We had our baby. We were able to buy our house and tragedy just surprised us," said Valle, Heidy's husband. READ: Clearwater Ferry crash: Firefighters describe rescue efforts after deadly boating incident Valle said his wife was detained that Tuesday after a regular check-in appointment with immigration and customs enforcement. A Cuban migrant who had been in Tampa since 2019, she deported last week back to Cuba. "My wife did everything by the law. She never got into any trouble. She went to all of her ICE appointments year by year," said Valle. He works to raise awareness of their situation at protests, and Sanchez has posted social media videos, pleading for their reunion. Now living at her mother's house, the couple video chat when Sanchez can get a signal, the latest on Thursday night when Valle put their daughter to sleep. "She tells me let me sing the lullaby that I would sing to her. And she starts and the baby kisses the phone and touches her face on the phone. And then I start crying, she starts crying," said Valle. Valle said they have been married for four years, and they were in the process of getting her status through family reunification. Until there's final approval of residency, immigration experts say migrants are vulnerable. "So that's a real big change, both that the US is not granting Cubans residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act as regularly as in past decades and that Cubans are being physically removed," said Michael Vastine, director of clinical programs and law professor at Stetson University College of Law. "It's hanging over the heads of many people that are in the U S that just haven't had those orders executed." As the days go on, Valle hopes it won't take years for his wife to hold their daughter again. "What I'm asking her for her to be returned to her daughter, so she can raise her daughter, care take for her," said Valle. Valle said he met with Tampa U. S. Representative Kathy Castor on Friday to share his story. Following the Tampa Bay deportations, her office said in a statement, "Immigration enforcement must be lawful and humane, not weaponized for political stunts." What you can do The Stetson law professor said anyone with questions or concerns about their status should call a nonprofit or private attorney that helps with immigration. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Briona Arradondo. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
