Dozens of Cuban migrants remain stranded in southern Mexico after being deported from the United States, facing a situation of uncertainty with no clear options for their immediate future.
A report by CNN gathers testimonies from Tapachula, Chiapas, where Cubans are surviving with an illegal status: lacking documents, stable employment, and institutional support, following the tightening of immigration policy under President Donald Trump and amid his strategy to accelerate political change in Cuba.
“We come out of obligation; we have nothing here,” recounts Armenio Machado, who describes the lack of work, support, and legal permits—a situation that, although unfortunate, is what any undocumented person faces in Mexico.
Like him, other migrants claim to be living in precarious conditions, without a clear way out. Opinions among Cubans are divided.
Some consider returning to the island despite the crisis their families are experiencing, while others dismiss that option and choose to stay in Mexico, even without guarantees of regularization.
There are also those who are considering trying once again to reach the United States.
“I have my family there; I have nothing in Cuba,” Damián Rivero states, reflecting the dilemma of those who see that country as their only alternative.
In parallel, and according to CNN, the Mexican government has reiterated its willingness to continue supporting Cuba and to receive migrants, although in practice many Cubans continue to lack access to permits that would allow them to work or settle legally.
The stories of these migrants reflect a limbo marked by difficult decisions, where returning, staying, or attempting to cross into the United States again involves risks and uncertainty.
The Mexican city of Tapachula, located on the border with Guatemala, has started to receive Cubans deported from the United States on direct flights, a situation that is raising concerns among activists and migrants and reflects the tightening of migration policies in Washington.
According to a report by the agency EFE, authorities in the state of Chiapas confirmed that currently between two and three flights per week arrive with migrants deported from the United States, which has increased the presence of Cubans in the region, where thousands of people remain stranded trying to resolve their immigration status.
Eduardo Antonio Castillejos Argüello, Undersecretary of Human Mobility of the Southern Border Secretariat, explained that Tapachula now has a significant Cuban population, many of whom are forced to seek informal employment while trying to regularize their status.
"We have a large population of Cuban nationality here in Tapachula (...) and they need to access services, but above all, employment," affirmed the official.
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