An analysis published this Monday by The Nevada Independent reveals that Nevada has become one of the main arrival points for the new wave of Cuban migration to the United States.
According to the study, Cubans accounted for 41% of the migrants who declared they were heading to Nevada after crossing the border with Mexico, the second highest proportion in the country, following Kentucky.
To reach this conclusion, the medium analyzed data obtained by the Associated Press from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office through a freedom of information request.
The records indicate the destinations that 4.5 million migrants declared they were heading to after crossing the southern border between October 2018 and September 2025, although they do not confirm where they ultimately settled.
Las Vegas, a new hub of the diaspora
The destinations declared by Cuban migrants heading to Nevada were concentrated in the southern part of the state.
Among those who identified Las Vegas as a destination, over 50% were Cubans, while in Henderson the proportion was around 45%.
Valerie Lacarte, senior analyst at the Migration Policy Institute specializing in Cuban migration, explained that changes in U.S. immigration policy have contributed to redirecting flows towards the southwest, rather than traditional destinations like Miami.
“The deterioration of economic conditions was accompanied by political dissatisfaction. There were many factors in Cuba that prompted the departure of Cubans to the entire region,” Lacarte noted to the outlet.
The end of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy in January 2017 marked a turning point.
Its elimination put an end to a practice that, with certain exceptions, allowed Cubans who managed to reach U.S. territory to remain in the United States and subsequently apply for permanent residency.
This change, along with other factors, contributed to shifting migration routes from the coasts of Florida to Central America and Mexico, also diversifying the arrival destinations.
Lacarte added that many Cubans from the latest wave of migration do not maintain the same ties with the historical diaspora in Florida, which may make them more open to economic opportunities in other states.
The cost of living is another potential factor of attraction.
Although Las Vegas may offer alternatives to Miami, living in the city is no longer as affordable as some imagine.
Cuban Entrepreneurship: The Case of Cubanidad 1885
The journey of Dennis Martínez Miranda illustrates the opportunities that some Cubans have found in Nevada.
He arrived in the United States in the early 2010s, fleeing the political situation in Cuba, and initially settled in Miami. Years later, he moved to Las Vegas, where he found partners to open his own restaurant.
"About eight years later, I moved to Las Vegas because I met my partners. It was a challenge, but it was truly an opportunity to thrive, as we Cubans like to say," declared 47-year-old Martínez Miranda in an interview with The Nevada Independent.
Your restaurant, Cubanidad 1885, has three establishments in the Las Vegas metropolitan area and has provided catering services to the Las Vegas Raiders.
"It has surprised me," he said about the city. "There is a large Cuban community here," he added.
The presence of Cuban businesses in Nevada has a history spanning several decades.
"What I hope for the next 50 years is to continue advocating for a dignified life for all Latinos, for all immigrants, to help them achieve the American dream," he stated.
The Latin Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1976 by Cuban entrepreneur Otto Mérida to strengthen the representation and opportunities for the Latino community in Clark County.
His current president, Peter Guzman, also emigrated from Cuba as a child. During a celebration of the organization's 50th anniversary, he expressed his desire to continue creating opportunities for immigrants.
A migratory map that keeps changing
The growth of the Cuban community in Las Vegas is part of a broader transformation of the Cuban migration map within the United States.
Cities like Louisville, Houston, and Las Vegas have welcomed a significant number of Cubans who arrived during the migration wave from 2021 to 2024, although southern Florida remains the primary settlement hub for this community.
In fact, almost one in three Cubans from that period declared the Miami metropolitan area as their destination.
Kentucky, the only state that surpasses Nevada in the proportion of Cubans within the analyzed records, is home to around 30,000 Cubans in Jefferson County, more than 15,000 of whom have arrived since 2021.
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