Article published by: "TERCERA INFORMACION. ES News"
US, persecution based on nationality
By Jose A. Amesty Rivera: We pointed out in a previous article that migrants deported by the US seemed to be subjected to persecution based on nationality; in the case of Venezuelans, persecution based on their Venezuelan identity.
In the Cuban case, it was also persecution based on their Cuban identity. Cuba has endured political persecution for more than 60 years. We have seen news about this, for example, on Change.org, a complaint has emerged from a group of Cuban women who have been unjustly detained in the US by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security whose mission is to strengthen border security and prevent the illegal movement of people, goods, and funds into, within, and outside the United States.
Chang.org's complaint expresses the demand for the immediate release and respect for the procedural rights of the Cuban women who are currently detained and facing an uncertain future, while the congressmen who promised to defend us as a Cuban-American community remain silent.
The congressmen in question are: María Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Marco Rubio. These Cuban women demand:
– Immediate release and access to fair and transparent immigration processes.
– Urgent solutions (no further pronouncements) from our congressmen to pressure the federal government on this situation.
– An independent and transparent investigation into the conditions of detention and treatment by ICE.
Furthermore, we have been informed of measures against the Cuban community by Trump, who campaigned for him. Specifically, the US president is suspending the Cuban Adjustment Act until further notice for those who entered through Parole, CBP One, and other Biden programs, which means he is paralyzing their residency processes and government aid. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans and families are affected by this measure, unsure how their current situation will be resolved.
The Cuban community in Miami campaigned the most for Trump, and today some continue to applaud, even though those affected are their friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers.
Meanwhile, María Elvira Salazar and company, the "representatives" of the Cuban community, are reintroducing the Venezuelan Adjustment Act.
Also, on March 21, the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it will revoke "humanitarian parole," an immigration permit that allows approximately 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, and Nicaragua to reside and work temporarily in the US. Washington warned that the benefit will expire on April 24.
Likewise, Cubans with Form I-220A, which grants migrants parole, allowing them to remain in the US while their immigration status is decided, are eligible. Immigration attorneys recommend that Cubans with Form I-220A request to see a judge to fight a possible deportation. Furthermore, it is crucial that they present a strong asylum case and stay informed about their rights and the legal avenues available to regularize their immigration status in the US.
But this is almost impossible in the context of Trump's tougher immigration policies, which has increased fear and uncertainty among Cuban migrants.
Another news item from March 31 reported that the United States is burying the dream of a green card for 550,000 Cuban migrants for the first time. Cubans, a group historically benefiting from immigration laws, could begin to face difficulties finding work, legalizing their status, or traveling, like the rest of the Latino community.
Cubainformacion.tv highlights several cases. Let's take a look:
José Francisco García Rodríguez, a 73-year-old Cuban who has lived in the United States for more than four decades, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Lafayette, Louisiana, while on his way to work. García Rodríguez arrived in the US as a "refugee," facing obstacles such as language barriers and a lack of formal education. For years, he worked honestly, paid taxes, and started a family. However, long-standing legal problems—common in any immigration process—prevented him from obtaining citizenship, despite multiple attempts over a decade.
A family torn apart by anti-immigrant policies.
His stepdaughter, Christian Cooper Riggs, reported the case on social media, revealing that her stepfather had already expressed fear in the face of increasing ICE persecution. “They told us it was best to keep a low profile and keep working,” she stated. But even that wasn't enough to avoid his arrest. Worse still, his wife suffers from dementia and is completely dependent on him. “I understand border security, but arresting a sick grandfather who has contributed for over 40 years doesn't solve anything,” Riggs stated.
Lafayette residents have reported an increase in ICE raids in Hispanic neighborhoods, generating terror in a community that, despite its social integration, continues to be treated as criminals.
Another outrageous case: deportation in Florida.
In parallel, another Cuban man, a resident of Florida for five years, was abruptly deported, leaving his wife and children behind. Writer Enrique Enrisco denounced the incident, emphasizing that the victim was a hard-working man of impeccable conduct. “Today I learned that a neighbor has been deported. He's from Placetas, a serious guy dedicated to his family,” he wrote.
The US persecutes migrants while funding media outlets to justify its blockade of Cuba.
These cases occur in a context where more than 539,400 Cubans are under ICE supervision, and 258,000 have open immigration proceedings. Cuba is the sixth country with the most migrants in this situation, behind nations like Mexico and Venezuela. While the US government spends millions on “Cuban-themed” media outlets—which distort the reality of the island and support the blockade—it persecutes and deports Cubans who have been contributing to their society for decades. The hypocrisy is evident: Where are “human rights” when families are separated and the elderly are deported? The Cuban community in the US demands justice and humanity, while Washington continues to implement a cruel and selective immigration policy, in line with its historical hostility toward Cuba.
Writer and university professor José Luis Méndez Méndez adds: "The arrival of Republican Donald J. Trump, the son of immigrants, to the White House for his second term and his excessive anti-immigrant policy has also dragged down Cubans who until now had been allies and pampered. It has uncovered and exacerbated the hatred of hundreds of island arrivals, who demand with visceral passion and endemic hatred the worst measures for their brothers and sisters, both in the United States and in Cuba."
"Parades of serial haters, who habitually live off resentment, shout "total suffocation," "no remittances," "no visas," "deportation now," "no food stamps," "shut down all flights to Cuba," "remove residency from those who remit or travel to see their relatives in Cuba," and they have even considered changing their birth blood, to become free of all past memories."
In short, there are multiple reports of cases of persecution and deportations of Cubans, which will increase as US immigration policy becomes more stringent.
On the other hand, on April 3, we were perplexed to hear the statements of the psychopath Mauricio Claver Carone, US special envoy for Latin America, when he admitted the harm caused to all Cubans here and there and asked for more support to inflict even more pain. This is a new level of cruelty and cynicism, an act of arrogance, cowardice, and total contempt for Cubans. This increases the persecution of Cubans, even if they have legal immigration documents.
So far, the persecution based on nationality has been directed toward Venezuelan and Cuban identity. Perhaps there are others that we haven't noticed.
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