Dozens of thousands of Cubans remain trapped on the Island waiting for visas that are delayed, despite having approved family petitions and assigned visa numbers, as reported by immigration lawyer Willy Allen during a live program alongside host Tania Costa.
Allen warned that these are individuals who have been waiting for six to seven years, who chose the legal route to emigrate, and who now see that path blocked by executive decisions from the Trump administration.
"In Cuba, we have people who have been waiting for 6 or 7 years, who already have the numbers to enter legally as adult children of American citizens or adult residents, and who have put their lives on hold in order to emigrate legally to the United States," the lawyer noted.
The origin of the blockade dates back to a series of overlapping measures. The Presidential Proclamation 10998, signed in December 2025, suspended all immigrant visas for Cuban citizens outside the United States, affecting family reunification categories such as spouses, minor children, unmarried adult children, married children, and parents of U.S. citizens.
This was compounded by the suspension of non-immigrant visas enacted in June 2025, the closure of the Cuban Family Reunification Program in January 2026, and a formal pause in the issuance of immigrant visas declared by the State Department that same month. Although a federal judge overturned that pause in August 2026, deeming it illegal, the State Department suspended all immigrant visa appointments worldwide days later, without setting a new date for resumption, citing that officials needed to complete training courses.
Allen was direct in pointing out the political responsibility. "There are tens of thousands of people who stayed in Cuba to emigrate in a proper, legal way, and to enter in the manner that is required, who are stranded because this government, through executive action, has closed the right to a visa in Havana."
The lawyer also criticized the public debate for ignoring this drama. "There is not enough discussion about the suffering involved, about the family separation, of people who are doing the right thing," he stated, directing his comments at the head of U.S. diplomacy. "We have a Secretary of State who should understand the impact of this—the suffering and the family separation."
The presenter Tania Costa acknowledged the omission. "Yes, it's true that we didn't talk much about it. We've normalized the situation, and it isn't normal."
This drama contrasts with the debate that is capturing media attention: the case of the 992 Cubans with Form I-220A whose class action lawsuit is still underway before Federal Judge Jacqueline Becerra. Allen himself clarified that he supports this cause, but insisted that it cannot overshadow the situation of those waiting in Cuba. "I am in favor of legalizing the I-220A and I fully support them and I believe it will happen, but there are tens of thousands of people who stayed in Cuba to emigrate correctly," he emphasized.
According to the official page of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba is subject to Proclamation 10998, which may prevent the issuance or admission of visas even when the case has been processed by the consulate, leaving thousands of families in a limbo with no visible way out.
The plaintiffs in the I-220A case have until October 23 to respond to the government's new motion seeking to dismiss their lawsuit, while the Cubans stranded on the Island remain without a date or certainty of when they will be able to reunite with their families.
El proceso de visas y las decisiones migratorias que afectan a miles de cubanos cambian con frecuencia. Sigue todos los detalles en nuestra sección de para estar al tanto de cada novedad.
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