Some Relief for CHNV Parolees, Guantánamo Deportations Paused, and Cuba Travel Ban Unfolds
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As protests in Los Angeles erupted, the Trump administration’s escalating aggression towards immigrants faced mounting resistance from the streets to the courts. The protests appear to have temporarily halted the administration’s plans to transfer thousands of migrants, including hundreds of citizens of U.S. allies, to Guantánamo Bay. At the same time, key legal developments unfolded, with a federal court ordering the government to resume processing change of status applications for thousands of Cubans in the US under humanitarian parole programs, even as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began issuing them termination notices and urging them to self-deport. Meanwhile, confusion continues to swirl around the travel ban that officially took effect on June 9, raising urgent questions about Cuban visa holders’ ability to enter the country.
Here are three key takeaways from this week’s events:
President Donald Trump’s travel ban went into place on June 9. There is conflicting information on whether Cubans with existing B1/B2, F, M, and J visas will be allowed to enter the US. The presidential proclamation states that these visas are “suspended.” So far, CEDA has not heard of any visa holders denied entry into the country since the proclamation went out.
On June 9, a federal court ordered the U.S. government to resume processing change of status applications for individuals in the US under humanitarian parole programs, including Cubans in the US through the CHNV and Family Reunification Parole programs. Cubans who have been in the US for more than a year and one day under these programs can apply for permanent residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA). Processing had been paused due to a DHS administrative hold placed on February 14, 2025.
The Trump administration planned to send over 9,000 migrants to Guantánamo Bay, but those plans have been paused, reportedly in response to the immigration protests in Los Angeles. This group of potential deportees included over 800 European nationals from U.S. allies such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, France, and Germany, prompting sharp diplomatic backlash from their governments.
See updated Cuban migration information and data here.
Updates from the CEDA News Center
María José Espinosa spoke on CNN about the travel ban: “This will impact families.”
María José Espinosa quoted in El País: Travel bans “have not proven to be effective tools in preventing real threats of terrorism. Rather, they have isolated the United States and weakened its position in the world.”
María José Espinosa quoted in CiberCuba, describing the travel ban as an “arbitrary and profoundly cruel” measure.
Francisca Vigaud-Walsh penned commentary on the proposed State Department Reorganization: The US Is Quietly Rewiring Humanitarian Aid into Deportation Support, and contributed to a Devex report on the State Department reorganization.
CEDA x Radio Ambulante Podcast Episode Out Now
CEDA has partnered with Radio Ambulante Studios and the podcast El hilo to produce an episode on Cuban migrants in the United States. The episode is live today, on World Refugee Day, and can be accessed wherever you get your podcasts. Next week, CEDA’s Executive Director, María José Espinosa, will join Radio Ambulante’s Daniel Alarcón and Laura Rojas Aponte to discuss the end of regular migration from Cuba to the United States.
🎧 Club de Escucha
📅 Wednesday, June 25
⏰ 6:00 p.m. (New York) / 5:00 p.m. (Bogotá) / 4:00 p.m. (CDMX)
📍 Virtual event via Zoom
In Cuba news this week…
Trump’s Travel Ban Takes Effect and Administration Considers Adding 36 More Countries
On June 9, the Trump administration's travel ban officially went into effect, banning citizens of Haiti from entering the US and partially restricting the entry of Cubans and Venezuelans. The restrictions will be assessed every 90 days initially, and every 180 days thereafter. We reported more details on the restrictions for Cuba in our last News Brief.
According to the DHS, the ban does not revoke visas previously issued. There is conflicting information on whether Cubans with existing B1/B2, F, M and J visas will be allowed to enter the US. The presidential proclamation is clear: “The entry into the United States of nationals of Cuba as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, is hereby suspended.” However, ABC News has reported that Cubans with existing visas can enter at the discretion of border agents since entering the US at a port of entry is not controlled by the State Department but rather the DHS. So far, CEDA has not heard of any visa holders denied entry into the country since the presidential proclamation went out.
Additionally, Reuters reported that the Trump administration is considering adding 36 more countries to the list, including four Caribbean nations: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia. The Trump administration justified the potential ban by citing a lack of cooperation from these governments in accepting deportees, the overstaying of visas by their nationals, and alleged involvement of some nationals in terrorism, antisemitism, or anti-American activity. The State Department stated these countries “might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days.”
DHS Issues Termination Notices to CHNV Parolees but Resumes Processing of Change of Status Applications
After a monumental Supreme Court decision, the DHS began sending termination notices to 110,240 Cubans in the US through the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) Humanitarian Parole Program. These notices inform parolees that their legal status and work permits have been revoked. According to CNN, the notices state: “If you do not leave, you may be subject to enforcement actions, including but not limited to detention and removal, without an opportunity to make personal arrangements and return to your country in an orderly manner.” The U.S. government is encouraging Cubans and other humanitarian parolees to self-deport.
However, due to a different federal court order, on June 9, the U.S. government resumed processing pending change of status applications for individuals in the US under humanitarian parole programs such as those under the CHNV Parole Program. Processing had been paused due to a DHS administrative hold placed on February 14, 2025.
For Cubans who have already applied for adjustment, this is critical as they are able to adjust their status to permanent residents after residing in the US for one year and a day through the CAA. With a pending or approved adjustment status, individuals are eligible to apply for work permits. The resolution also applies to those in the US under five other programs:
Uniting for Ukraine
Military Parole in Place (MPIP)
Family Reunification Parole
Operation Allies Welcome
Central American Minors (CAM)
Trump Administration Plans to Send Over 9,000 Migrants to Guantánamo
On June 10, POLITICO revealed that the Trump administration was vetting over 9,000 migrants for transfer to Guantánamo Bay Naval Detention Center in Cuba. The Trump administration plans on temporarily holding the migrants at the facility before they are deported to their countries of origin. POLITICO later reported that these plans are now paused because the immigration protests in Los Angeles “got in the way.” The pause was confirmed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who replied “Not happening” to a post on X about the plans. Officials stated they are unsure how long these plans will be on hold.
In early February, President Trump unleashed his plans to send migrants to Guantánamo Bay, directing his administration to prepare for the arrival of 30,000 migrants. However, as of June 10, roughly 70 immigrant detainees are being held at the facility and only about 500 migrants have been held at the facility since the beginning of President Trump’s term in office.
European diplomats were notably concerned about the plans as it appeared that the Trump administration was prepared to deport over 800 European citizens, many from nations closely allied with the US, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey and Ukraine. This would be an unprecedented move by the Trump administration given that these allies normally accept deportees from the US, unlike any other country whose nationals have been sent to the facility. Furthermore, it was reported that officials did not plan to inform deportees' home countries that the transfers were to take place. This has prompted outrage from some U.S. allies, such as Italy, whose Foreign Minister stated that Rome will “do everything [it] can” to stop the Trump administration from sending Italians to Guantánamo.
This comes after the Pentagon reported that the Trump administration spent at least $21 million transporting migrants to Guantánamo Bay on military aircraft between January 20 and April 8. Senator Gary Peters (MI) reported that the facility is costing $100,000 per day for each detainee.
This also comes amidst a federal class-action lawsuit alleging the immigrant detainees currently held there are facing inhumane conditions, stating “detainees receive insufficient food, go hungry, lack clean clothes and are denied basic possessions, including religious materials, writing implements, and legal documents.” The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by President Trump.
ETECSA Price Hikes Continue to Spark Outrage Across the Island
While Cuban officials have worked to downplay the student protests in Cuba over the new internet pricing measures by the state-run telecommunications company, ETECSA, protests across the country persist, prompting real debate over the government’s control over all means of communication on the island.
Videos have emerged across social media showing students standing up to ETECSA and government officials. One student stated, “We want the internet to stop being a luxury and to return to what it should be: a human right.”
While the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Havana reversed their call for a strike just one week after it commenced, local chapters of Cuba’s Federation of University Students (FEU) continue to call for strikes and other measures. They have been joined by professors, graduates, and other groups such as the Cuban Filmmakers Assembly, which published a statement supporting the university students’ strike.
In their statement, faculty members at the University of Havana explained that their decision came as a result of the creation of a working group to help better identify the “the design and implementation of the measures.” The teachers explained that the decision was made through a vote among university students, with the majority of votes in favor of ending the student strike. They also made it clear that there is no convincing evidence that the rate hikes were necessary and hope to continue to negotiate for a different solution.
Bahamas Preparing to Cancel Contracts with Cuban Healthcare Professionals
After discussing the issue with the U.S. government, Bahamian Health Minister Michael Darville announced that the island is preparing to cancel contracts with Cuban healthcare professionals. The island hopes to enter into direct employment contracts with the professionals currently in the Bahamas rather than ones arranged by Cuba’s government. Professionals who do not renegotiate their contracts will be sent back to Cuba. Currently, there are only 35 Cuban healthcare professionals in the Bahamas.
The US has urged all countries involved in Cuba’s foreign medical missions to withdraw their participation, alleging concerns over forced labor practices. Other leaders in the Caribbean have been reluctant to work with the US, arguing that Cuban doctors play a crucial role in the region’s healthcare systems.
Family Reunification Visa Approved for Deported Cuban Mother
In a previous news brief, we shared the story of Heidy Sánchez, a Cuban mother who was detained and deported at a routine check-in at an immigration office in Tampa, Florida. On June 6, the US approved a family reunification visa for Heidy Sánchez. According to Sánchez, her family had begun the process of applying for the IR-1 visa, for immediate family members, in 2023 and has been pending until now.
Sánchez was separated from her husband and their 1-year-old daughter, both U.S. citizens. The case gained nationwide attention, prompting Representative Kathy Castor (FL-14) to send a letter to President Trump urging him to grant Sánchez humanitarian parole.
Sánchez will still need to conduct an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Havana and process two immigration waivers. Her legal team is working to hasten the process, which can typically last a few years. According to the White House, IR-1 visas are exempted from the recent travel ban.
Recommended Reading, Viewing, Events:
📖 Read | El País: No trips or family reunions: Trump’s latest betrayal of Cubans and Venezuelans
📖 Read | El País: Russia recruits Cubans for the frontlines in Ukraine: ‘It’s all been a scam’
