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In the first week of 2026, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has continued to ramp up the pace of immigrant detentions, focusing on those deemed "the worst illegal foreign criminals," including Cuban nationals with serious criminal records.
Three immigrants from Cuba, detained in recent days, were featured on the list "The Worst of the Worst," a campaign by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aimed at identifying, apprehending, and deporting foreigners with irregular status who have committed crimes in the United States and pose a "threat to public safety," according to authorities.
Cuban Yusney Figueroa Argüelles, previously convicted of armed robbery in Orlando, Florida, was arrested by ICE agents during operations conducted between New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, according to a statement from DHS.
Duniesky Eugenio Delgado Gazo, convicted of aggravated assault in Pensacola, Florida, was arrested on January 5; meanwhile, David Llama López, sentenced for human trafficking in Miami, was taken into ICE custody on Tuesday. The three will be processed for their removal from the U.S., the DHS specified.
The federal agency announced the strengthening of the ICE workforce, with the recruitment of more than 12,000 agents, representing a 120% increase in its staff, in line with President Donald Trump's immigration agenda, which aims to significantly boost the detentions and deportations of immigrants during a politically significant year.
The recent arrests of Cuban immigrants at the start of the new year are part of the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration driven by the DHS and the federal agencies involved, such as ICE and CBP (Customs and Border Protection), in collaboration with state and local law enforcement.
More than 1,150 citizens from the island are among those detained by ICE in the federal campaign "Worst of the Worst" in 2025.
At the end of the year, following reports suggesting a possible shift in the immigration policy of the Trump administration, the DHS confirmed that agencies will continue to "intensify law enforcement efforts."
The government of Donald Trump has raised the stakes even further in its aggressive crusade against immigration, which not only focuses on the arrest and deportation of foreign criminals but also targets individuals at various stages of their immigration processes who have not committed crimes.
A recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll revealed that an overwhelming majority of Americans support the deportation of migrants who are in the country illegally and have a criminal record.
Eighty percent of respondents expressed their support for the expulsion of undocumented immigrants who have broken the law, while only twenty percent opposed it.
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