Latest news with #ElFunky
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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
‘El Funky will not be deported': Cuban rapper says his immigration case was reopened
Cuban rapper Eliexer Márquez Duany, known as El Funky, one of the musicians who performed on Cuban protest anthem 'Patria y Vida,' announced that his immigration case has been reopened after U.S. authorities denied his application for permanent residency. El Funky made the announcement on Saturday after media reported that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied his petition under the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 and gave him 30 days to leave the country or face deportation. 'To all my brothers and followers, I want to give you good news. Thanks to my legal team, my residency case has been opened. I have great faith in this government and the legal process. Also, regarding the rumors and fake news circulating on social media, we clarify that El Funky will not be deported,' the Cuban musician said on his Instagram account. His lawyer Miguel Inda-Romero commented, 'As I said from day one, our time was coming and @elfunkycuba wasn't going anywhere! Keep talking without knowing, cases are won legally, not by talking on social media! Thank you all for your support!' On Friday, Politico reported that Cuban rapper faced deportation from the United States and would likely be imprisoned in Cuba, given that his music helped fuel Cuba's largest anti-government protests in decades. The outlet reported that after his residency application was denied 'without any explanation,' the artist hired a new immigration lawyer and 'is now rushing to file an asylum application. His new lawyer told him there were 'errors in the original application,' but couldn't specify which ones.' Immigration authorities reportedly informed him that the request was denied because the criminal record he provided from the Cuban Ministry of Justice shows a 2017 conviction of 'one year and three months in prison' for the alleged 'possession and trafficking of illegal drugs and other similar substances' on the Caribbean island, according to the USCIS document obtained by Cuban news website El Estornudo. El Funky denied that accusation on May 16, saying that the Cuban regime 'fabricates crimes' against its opponents. El Funky along with Yotuel, Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona (Randy Malcom and Alexander Delgado), received Latin Grammy awards in November 2021 for Song of the Year and Best Urban Song for 'Patria y Vida,' which became an anthem for Cubans who took to the streets in July of that year to protest against the communist regime. 'The most important thing is that this puts my life at risk,' the rapper told the Spanish newspaper El País. 'My life is in danger. They could fabricate a crime against me, and if I'm going through this situation, it's because of a crime also created by the dictatorship. I think the United States authorities need to study my case and realize the great harm they want to do to me.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Cruel irony for pro-Trump Cuban rapper... as he faces deportation
A pro-Trump Cuban rapper faces being deported for being an illegal migrant - despite his support for President Donald Trump. Eliexer Marquez Duany, who raps under the name El Funky, made the 2021 hip-hop song Patria Y Vida, which led Marco Rubio to introduce a law in the Senate named after it. But his application for residency under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act was denied and he posted to Facebook that he will be deported in 30 days. The rapper wrote: 'I have 30 days to leave the country or I will be deported. 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.' He captioned a photo of himself holding a cardboard sign reading: 'SOS Cuba.' His anti-communist views will likely make returning to his homeland dangerous and could potentially land him in prison. When he fled Cuba in 2021 he was told: 'What we want is for you to leave. Go, but don't come back because you're not welcome here.' His song is not only banned on the island but two of his collaborators have been imprisoned for it. Rubio and other Cuban-American members of Congress who have celebrated El Funky's music in the past have not commented on his case. Republican Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida is the only notable public figure to take up his case. 'El Funky is a political refugee who deserves the full protection of U.S. immigration law,' she told Politico. 'We are working with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to ensure they understand the serious risk of torture and political persecution he faces if returned to Cuba.' Salazar has said they have been making progress on El Funky's case. Statement: 'I have 30 days to leave the country or I will be deported,' he told his followers The silence from the Trump administration hasn't changed the rapper's support for the president. 'If I could vote, I would have voted for Trump. He's the strongest president when it comes to Cuba,' he said. El Funky has since married a Cuban-American woman and gotten a steady job while continuing his recording career. But his application for residency came at a time when the law was in limbo, as Trump had limited it under his first term. Joe Biden attempted to come up with a workaround program but it was also limited. El Funky is now hastily attempting to file for asylum after his CAA application was denied without any reason. However, he still sees Trump's point, while wishing he could receive sympathy from the administration. 'There are probably too many people here. I understand trying to get rid of those who shouldn't be here. But Trump should look at each individual case. Like mine.' Making El Funky's case even more difficult is Trump's request to the Supreme Court to revoke the temporary legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in the United States. The announcement was made by Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem on a notice to a Federal Register in March, the latest expansion of his crackdown on immigration. The order applies to about 532,000 people from the four countries who came to the United States since October 2022 under a program called CHNV that the Biden administration was heavily criticized for. Uncertainty still remains for some 240,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in the US following the Russian invasion in 2021. Trump was said to be considering ending their legal status even before recent tensions between Washington and Kyiv. The migrants losing legal status arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the U.S. Noem said they will lose their legal status in 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register. The new policy impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under the humanitarian parole program.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- 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.'
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Cruel irony for pro-Trump Cuban rapper... as ICE circles
A pro-Donald Trump Cuban rapper faces removal from the United States for being an illegal migrant despite his support for the president. Eliéxer Márquez Duany - who raps under the name El Funky - once contributed to a 2021 song, 'Patria y Vida,' that led now Secretary of State Marco Rubio to introduce a law in the Senate named for it. However, Márquez Duany's application for residency under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act was denied and he posted to Facebook that he will be deported in 30 days. 'I have 30 days to leave the country or I will be deported. 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,' he captioned a photo of himself holding a cardboard sign stating: 'SOS Cuba.' His anti-communist views will likely make returning to his homeland dangerous and could potentially land him in prison, as his music as been the soundtrack to anti-government protests in Cuba. 'What we want is for you to leave. Go, but don't come back because you're not welcome here,' he said he was told by a government official when he fled the island to appear at the 2021 Latin Grammys. The song is not only banned on the island but two of his collaborators have been imprisoned for it. Rubio and other Cuban-American members of Congress who have celebrated Márquez Duany's music in the past have done nothing and even the rappers who worked with him on 'Patria y Vida' have been silent. has reached out to Rubio for comment. Republican María Elvira Salazar of Florida is the only public figure to take up his case. 'El Funky is a political refugee who deserves the full protection of U.S. immigration law,' she told Politico. 'We are working with the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to ensure they understand the serious risk of torture and political persecution he faces if returned to Cuba.' Salazar has said they have been making progress on Márquez Duany's case. The silence from the Trump administration hasn't changed his support for the president. 'If I could vote, I would have voted for Trump. He's the strongest president when it comes to Cuba,' he said. Márquez Duany has since married a Cuban-American woman and gotten a steady job while continuing his recording career. However, his application for residency came at a time when the law was in limbo, as Donald Trump had limited it under his first term. Joe Biden attempted to come up with a workaround program but it was also limited. Márquez Duany is now hastily attempting to file for asylum after his CAA application was denied without any reason. However, he still sees Trump's point, while wishing he could receive sympathy from the administration. 'There are probably too many people here. I understand trying to get rid of those who shouldn't be here. But Trump should look at each individual case. Like mine.' Making Márquez Duany's case even more difficult is Trump's request to the Supreme Court to revoke the temporary legal status of 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans in the United States. The announcement was made by Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem on a notice to a Federal Register in March, the latest expansion of his crackdown on immigration. The order applies to about 532,000 people from the four countries who came to the United States since October 2022 under a program called CHNV that the Biden administration was heavily criticized for. Uncertainty still remains for some 240,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in the US following the Russian invasion in 2021. Trump was said to be considering ending their legal status even before recent tensions between Washington and Kyiv. The migrants losing legal status arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the U.S. Noem said they will lose their legal status in 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register. The new policy impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under the humanitarian parole program. It follows an earlier Trump administration decision to end what it called the 'broad abuse' of the humanitarian parole, a long-standing legal tool presidents have used to allow people from countries where there´s war or political instability to enter and temporarily live in the U.S. During his campaign Trump promised to deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally, and as president he has been also ending legal pathways for immigrants to come to the U.S. and to stay. DHS said parolees without a lawful basis to stay in the U.S. 'must depart' before their parole termination date. 'Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status,' DHS said. Before the new order, the beneficiaries of the program could stay in the U.S. until their parole expires, although the administration had stopped processing their applications for asylum, visas and other requests that might allow them to remain longer. The administration decision has already been challenged in federal courts.
