Trump administration freezes immigration talks with Cuba

The administration of President Donald Trump has decided to indefinitely pause the bilateral immigration talks that traditionally took place twice a year, in a gesture that reflects the worsening relations between the U.S. and Cuba,

“The Trump administration is promoting a foreign policy that prioritizes the United States (America First). The United States will no longer engage with the Cuban regime merely for the sake of establishing a commitment and maintaining an endless dialogue”, noted a senior State Department official in statements to journalist Wilfredo Cancio for Café Fuerte.

The latest round of these migration discussions took place in December 2024 in the U.S., and the next was scheduled to be held this month of April in Havana.

However, no date or figure has been established among the priorities of the current U.S. government.

The cancellation of these conversations marks the end of the only official dialogue channel that was still operational between both countries, and that served to address issues such as human trafficking, immigration fraud, and drug trafficking.

These talks had already been suspended in 2018 during Trump's first term following the "Havana syndrome" scandal.

They were resumed later by the Biden administration in April 2022.

Since his return to the presidency, Trump has tightened the policy towards Cuba: returned the island to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, reactivated the list of restricted entities linked to Cuban military, and imposed controls on vessels arriving from Cuban ports.

This is complemented by the use of the Guantánamo base to receive immigrants with criminal records, something that the Cuban government described as an "act of brutality."

However, some politicians from the Trump Administration are calling for even stronger measures, including the suspension of remittances and travel to Cuba, a request recently made by Cuban-American Congressman Carlos Giménez.

Rising migration tensions

Wilfredo Cancio warned that the interruption of talks could also jeopardize the current deportation operations.

According to official figures from the ICE, 42,084 Cubans with final deportation orders are under supervised release in the U.S. due to Cuba's refusal to accept them.

Although in 2023 monthly deportation flights had resumed—with 24 operations and 1,152 people returned by March of this year—Cuban authorities have rejected the repatriation of criminals or immigrants who have resided in the U.S. for an extended period.

"We went to sign those immigration agreements with the United States to ensure that the immigration of Cubans would be orderly, safe, and legal," stated Miguel Díaz-Canel, who also denounced the new policy of sanctions as "a brutal, aggressive, and inhumane policy."

Raids, visas, and fear of confinement

At the same time, ICE has intensified raids and arrests of immigrants, including Cubans with criminal records or pending immigration processes, as well as citizens who lied upon entering the country by concealing political ties to the regime.

With regard to visa applications for Cuban migrants or visitors, they are being subjected to strict scrutiny in compliance with the executive order “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorist Entry,” signed by Trump on January 20.

During the Biden administration, 96,986 immigrant visas were granted to Cubans.

However, Trump's new mandate is already reversing that trend: in February, only 1,172 visas were granted, mostly for family claims and the visa lottery, as confirmed by the aforementioned source.

According to recent data from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of Cubans who entered the U.S. irregularly in February and March was just 282 people, compared to a monthly average of nearly 8,000 at the beginning of the current fiscal year.

Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. Immigration Policy Toward Cuba Under the Trump Administration