HAVANA (Reuters) – According to Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, Cuba has not yet engaged in talks about migration with the Trump administration, as the U.S. continues its extensive immigration crackdown that may put many Cubans at risk of deportation. Reports from Reuters indicate that the Trump administration is considering revoking legal status from around 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who were granted entry to the U.S. through temporary humanitarian “parole programs” established during former President Joe Biden’s time in office. This potential move is part of a broader effort to terminate Biden-era programs that allowed approximately 1.8 million migrants to enter the United States.
Despite these developments, Cuba has not been approached by the Trump administration regarding migration or potential increases in deportations, as confirmed by de Cossio in an interview with Reuters at Cuba’s Foreign Ministry in Havana. He stated that there have been no requests from the U.S. government to discuss these matters. Under current agreements dating back to the 1980s, Cuba typically accepts deported immigrants from the U.S. by air and sea. De Cossio mentioned that two repatriation flights have arrived in Havana since January, usually carrying fewer than 100 deportees.
Regarding the possibility of large-scale deportations of Cubans lawfully admitted to the U.S., de Cossio emphasized that such actions were not originally contemplated in the migration agreements between the two countries. He expressed that discussions would be necessary for any such changes. When asked about potential cooperation, de Cossio described it as “unrealistic and unfair.”
Cuba has accused the U.S. of fueling mass migration by imposing economic sanctions while providing incentives for Cuban migration through favorable citizenship laws. The U.S., on the other hand, holds Cuba responsible for the migration crisis, criticizing the island’s government for economic mismanagement and human rights violations. Cubans have been among the significant groups crossing the U.S.-Mexico border through legal entry programs and unauthorized means in recent times.
The U.S. and Cuba last discussed migration in December before Trump’s presidency began, with a future meeting scheduled for April in Washington. However, de Cossio noted that the Trump administration had not yet confirmed this meeting.
