Latest news with #PatriayVida
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
How resorts are changing in South Florida. See what's new and what's coming
South Florida How resorts are changing in South Florida. See what's new and what's coming South Florida resorts are changing with major projects and upgrades. The Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key will close for demolition and return as two sleek towers focusing on luxury residences and an updated hotel experience. The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne is undergoing a $100 million renovation, temporarily laying off workers as it makes updates. In Fort Lauderdale, the opening of the new Las Olas Marina brings superyacht facilities and high-end dining to the waterfront. Meanwhile, new legislation makes it easier for historic coastal hotels, particularly in Miami Beach, to be demolished, paving the way for further development. View of the piece titled 'Patria y Vida' by Cuban-American artists Antonia Wright and Rubén Millares, a large-scale light sculpture that celebrates people's right to peacefully protest including Cuba where many were sentenced to prison after the anti-government protests that took place on July 11th, 2021. This project is part of the City of Miami Beach's A No Vacancy Project in partnership with Faena Art, for the Miami Art Week 2022, on Tuesday November 12, 2022. By Pedro Portal NO. 1: DESANTIS SIGNS BILL THAT MAKES DEMOLISHING HISTORIC FLORIDA BUILDINGS EASIER Bill proponents have said the changes are crucial to ensuring that buildings are up to code near Florida's coast. | Published March 22, 2024 | Read Full Story by Alexandra Glorioso The Las Olas Marina is officially open after eight years of planning and negotiating. NO. 2: SUPERYACHTS AND HIGH END RESTAURANTS: FORT LAUDERDALE UNVEILS NEW $130 MILLION MARINA It includes spaces for superyachts. | Published October 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Amanda Rosa The Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key will be demolished for two new resort and condo towers. By PATRICK FARRELL NO. 3: A SIGNATURE MIAMI LUXURY HOTEL IS CLOSING AND WILL BE REPLACED BY TWO NEW TOWERS What we know about the plans. | Published December 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by vsreeharsha@ Sreeharsha The Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne opened in 2001. By Chuck Fadely NO. 4: A MAJOR MIAMI HOTEL IS CLOSING FOR A $100M REMODEL THAT WILL LAY OFF HUNDREDS OF WORKERS Here's the timeline for the changes to a signature resort. | Published March 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
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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.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- 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.
CNN
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Pro-Trump Cuban rapper El Funky, other US Cubans face deportation under Trump's immigration crackdown
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.' 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. 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.' 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. 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. 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.'
Arab News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
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 hard-liners,' 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. Eliéxer Márquez, 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 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 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,' Giménez wrote, adding that the US 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 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 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 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 Hernández 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 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 US from Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift, said in a hushed voice. 'For any little thing, you could be deported.'
