Three out of four Cuban-Americans in Miami-Dade County dissapprove of the increased deportations of Cubans without legal status and with no criminal record, according to the FIU Cuba Poll 2026 published this Tuesday by Florida International University.
The survey, the longest-running of its kind since 1991, interviewed 1,004 Cuban-American adults from Miami-Dade between September 4 and 29, with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Their results will be publicly presented on Wednesday, October 28, at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) in the international pavilion of the Green School of International and Public Affairs at FIU.
76% of respondents disapprove of the deportations of Cuban nationals without a criminal record, with 63% expressing strong disapproval. Only 24% support them.
The rejection is not limited to one political sector: it affects 63% of Republicans in the sample, although that group approves the measure at a higher rate than any other (37%).
Among Cubans who arrived in the United States after 2020, the rejection is nearly absolute: 92% disapprove "strongly" and only 3% approve.
In parallel, 87% agree that Washington must resume the processing of immigration benefits for Cubans already residing in the country — with 65% doing so "strongly" — enjoying broad majorities among Republicans (86%), Democrats (90%), and independents (86%). Among the more recently arrived and non-citizens, support approaches unanimity: 97% and 96%, respectively.
Despite this migratory discontent, electoral support for the Republican Party remains intact. A68% of those surveyed indicate they will vote for Republican candidates in November 2026, a figure that matches the historic high recorded in the 2024 Cuba Poll. Republicans continue to represent 53% of registered voters in the sample, compared to 27% independents and 18% Democrats.
Guillermo J. Grenier, principal researcher of the survey and professor of sociology at FIU, explained it this way: "Disappointment with the Trump administration has not displaced Cuban Americans from the Republican Party. Republicans still make up 53% of registered voters, even though 63% of them disapprove of deportations and 50% are dissatisfied with the handling of the economy."
The survey also reveals a characteristic tension within this community: the same group that opposes deportations strongly supports pressure on the Cuban regime. 77% favor maximum pressure on Havana, 65% back the blockade of oil imports to Cuba, and 74% want the United States to direct assistance to the Cuban private sector to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Grenier summarized it this way: "Cuban Americans want two things at once: a tougher line with Havana and a more sustainable life for the Cuban people. Those who support maximum pressure also support the sale of medicines, food, and aid to the private sector."
In terms of humanitarian matters, 73% support the unrestricted sale of medicines to Cuba, and 70% support the sale of food, with majorities even among Republicans (62% and 64%, respectively).
The migratory context surrounding this data is highly tense. According to a Human Rights Watch analysis from May 2026, of the 4,353 Cubans deported to Mexico between January 2025 and March 2026, 26% had no criminal records in the United States. An earlier survey by the Miami Herald, conducted in April 2026, had already anticipated the backlash: 68% of respondents at that time opposed the deportations of undocumented Cubans without criminal backgrounds.
The full report of the FIU Cuba Poll 2026 is available online. The survey exclusively covers Cuban American adults from Miami-Dade, and its results are not generalizable to all Cubans residing in the United States.
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