On Tuesday, November 26, a group of 24 irregular migrants, including one woman, was deported to Cuba on a flight from the United States that arrived at José Martí International Airport, as reported by the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) on X.
The day before, the U.S. Coast Guard had returned four more individuals through the Orozco port in Bahía Honda, Artemisa.
With these two operations, the total number of deportations from various countries in the region this year has now reached 87.
This figure provided by MININT refers to the calendar year (from January to December), and not to the fiscal year under which data is recorded in the United States, which begins on October 1st.
So far, a total of 1,255 people have been returned to the island, having abruptly seen their migration dreams dashed.
The previous group of deportees, consisting of 34 migrants (31 men and three women), arrived on the island on October 31. This was the first flight conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the fiscal year 2025.
After being suspended in December 2020, deportation flights between the United States and Cuba resumed in April 2023, following negotiations to address the migration crisis.
With the previous operation in October, the Biden administration had repatriated 912 Cubans on 19 flights, according to ICE figures compiled by Café Fuerte.
This means that, following today's flight, the number of Cubans deported from the United States since April of last year has risen to 936, returned on 20 flights.
In September, a plane from the United States brought 62 Cuban migrants (seven women and 55 men) to Havana.
In August, the Cuban government welcomed a total of 48 deported Cubans (43 men and five women) on a flight from the United States.
The previous deportation flight from U.S. territory took place on July 18, when a group of 54 irregular migrants, consisting of 40 men and 14 women, was returned to Cuba.
Previously, on June 20, another group of 56 people (12 women and 44 men) was returned to Cuba by air from the United States.
The figures confirm that this Tuesday's group was the smallest of deportees, at least in the last four months.
The elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, has promised mass deportations starting when he takes office on January 20th.
However, various immigration attorneys have agreed in noting that Cubans are not among the group that will most significantly increase that potential number of deportees, as the citizens of the island have substantial legal support under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
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