SANTIAGO DE CUBA. – At the same time that the media announced the victory of US President Donald TrumpOn November 6, uncertainty invaded Cubans who are currently on the journey to the southern border of the United States and all those who had the dream of leaving the Island. Since his campaign, the president promised a radical approach to migration, which will include mass deportations and cancellation of reception programs.
Regarding Cuba specifically, the president-elect has expressed his intention to eliminate the parole humanitarian and asylum appointments CBP One as soon as he takes power on January 20, something that, if carried out, will destroy “the American dream” of thousands of residents in the largest of the Antilles.
Danaikis Hernández, from Havana, told CubaNet that he had planned to undertake the journey in January, just when the new immigration restrictions are expected to begin to be implemented.
“I didn’t leave earlier because I wanted to raise a little more money to take my daughters with me. A few months ago I managed to get the necessary amount, but I was waiting to see who would emerge as president. Trump came out and it was like a bucket of cold water was poured on me; Now I don’t know what to do or where to go, and I don’t want to risk losing everything,” he confessed to CubaNet.
For his part, Marcos Cruz, from Santiago, who is currently in Mexico requesting an appointment with the Mexican immigration authorities through the CBP One application, also expressed his concern about the almost imminent elimination of this program.
“I am not deluded like others, I do not believe in shrews,” he told this medium via Messenger. “I am clear that [Trump] He is going to remove it, perhaps not on the first day as he warned, but very soon. I am in a race against time and I can only ask God to allow me to enter the United States before that happens. If I have to lose, I will see what to do, but what I am clear about is that I will not return to Cuba,” he stressed.
In October 2022, the current president of the United States, Joe Biden, announced the creation of the parole humanitarian with the intention of reducing the flow of natural persons from Venezuela who entered the US irregularly from Mexico. Later, in January 2023, it was extended to Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans.
Later, the Administration also initiated an online appointment request system through the CBP One application, for migrants to request asylum from US authorities while they remain in central or northern Mexico.
In principles, the parole humanitarian program, designed to allow the orderly entry of up to 30,000 migrants per month, to some extent met its objective. However, before long, allegations of fraud clouded the program. Last August, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) concluded that numerous violations had been committed during the process, including: the use of the same social security number by different sponsors and non-existent zip codes. Additionally, patterns of possible human trafficking involving women, some under 18 years of age, were detected.
In this scenario, Biden decided not to extend the programwhich expired last October for Venezuelans and will do so in January for the other three nationalities.
And, although the program is currently active, available statistics reflect a drastic drop in travel permit approvals for the four beneficiary countries. In October, for exampleonly 240 Cubans obtained approval to travel to the United States.
Yeilis Vega and her family were waiting for more than a year for the parolewhich had been given to them by some friends. Unlike other Cubans in the same situation, they took advantage of that time to save and, finally, sell their home. Despite the possibility they had of legally emigrating to the United States, they did not commit themselves to that destination alone, because they believe that “any country is better than Cuba.”
“Yes, it is true that we were excited about the idea of parolebut long before we had a family plan to emigrate anywhere we could. As we saw that the process was taking time for most of us, we started saving money and put the house up for sale with everything inside. In the month of September we were able to sell and a little over a month ago we came to Brazil: my husband, my two children and I. We currently live in Florianópolis and my husband has already started working. “We are in the residency process,” explained the woman, a native of Las Tunas.
“The advice I give to Cubans is to go wherever you want, because any country is better than ours. Wherever you work and buy food, medicine, clothes… and you don’t live from blackout to blackout. To those who are already in Mexico, practically in limbo due to the new immigration policies that will come, I say: ‘Stay there or go somewhere else but to Cuba.’ To go back or to gain momentum,” he stated.
Like Yeilis, Yosvany Cantillo, from Santiago de Cuba, believes that emigrating continues to be the best option for Cubans. “The main problem of the Cuban ends when he manages to live in freedom,” he assured CubaNet. Although he has not been able to leave due to lack of resources, he maintains that dream and, he says, “neither Trump nor anyone” will make him give up his dream.
“We have been working here for years, without a future, without hope, surviving without freedom and under all the lies of those who badly govern this country. So, wherever we can live with decorum, from our sweat, we will be fine,” he said.
Even today, the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1996 positions the United States as the main migratory destination for Cubans, due to the possibility it offers them to apply for permanent residence after one year and one day on US soil, with specific exceptions. However, given the difficulties they may soon have entering the northern country, Cubans are beginning to look, again or for the first time, to more distant countries such as Brazil, Uruguay or Chile.
