Trump’s New Travel Ban; CHNV Update; ETECSA Spikes Rates and Sparks Protests
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When it rains, it pours. In a sweeping escalation of its hardline immigration agenda, the Trump administration has moved to gut a key piece of U.S. humanitarian immigration policy, placing hundreds of thousands of Latin American and Caribbean migrants in limbo. On May 30, the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the administration to begin dismantling the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) parole program, which had temporarily shielded over 500,000 citizens from those countries from deportation. This decision comes just days before a new presidential proclamation barred the entry of citizens from 19 countries, including Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela, across multiple visa categories.
Together, these actions represent the most dramatic rollback of legal migration pathways and humanitarian protections for Latin American and Caribbean migrants in recent history.
What are the implications for Cubans? Most Cubans outside of the US will no longer be able to enter the country. For Cubans already in the US, those who entered through the CHNV process or received I-220A forms at the border face immediate legal uncertainty, unemployability, and the looming threat of detention or deportation. The situation is further complicated by limited deportation capacity and the 2017 migration accord between the US and Cuba, which allows for one deportation flight per month.
US-Cuba diplomatic tensions continue to intensify, despite the fact that to fulfill its stated goal of increasing deportation flights, the Trump administration must engage diplomatically with the Cuban government. This week, Politico interviewed Johana Tablada, one of the top Cuban officials in the country’s foreign ministry (MINREX) who works on relations with Washington. She is quoted saying that “the [US] State Department is not interested in having conversations with Cuba” even even ones that persisted during periods of extreme tension in the past. She emphasized Cuba’s willingness to cultivate relations, and asserted that “the adult in the room is the Cuban government.” Interestingly, the Presidential Proclamation which announced the new travel ban stipulates that the “the Secretary of State…shall immediately engage each of the countries identified in sections 2 and 3,” which includes Cuba, “on measures that must be taken to comply with United States screening, vetting, immigration, and security requirements.” Whether or not this requirement is met will be a matter of time.
These policy shifts unfold against the backdrop of worsening conditions on the island, where small protests have erupted in response to a decision by Cuba’s sole telecommunications company, ETECSA, to drastically raise prices on cell phone and data plans, and prioritize dollars for payment of said plans.
At CEDA, we are tracking these developments closely, working to elevate the voices of impacted communities and advocate for policies grounded in dignity, respect, and common sense.
Presidential Proclamation Bars and Limits Entry to the United States for Citizens of 19 Countries
On the evening of June 4, President Trump announced in a Proclamation his intention to restrict entry to the US for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela, among 16 other countries, effective June 9.
Here is what we know about the Latin American and Caribbean countries affected:
Haiti: The entry into the United States of nationals of Haiti as immigrants and nonimmigrants is fully suspended. Section 2 (g)(ii)
Venezuela: The entry into the United States of nationals of Venezuela as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B‑1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is suspended. Section 3 (g)(ii)
Cuba: 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 suspended. Section 3 (b)(ii)
The Proclamation, as we pointed out in our recent press release, is rife with contradiction. In Section 6, it states that no visa issued before the proclamation shall be revoked. The latest we have heard on this from the Administration is that current visa holders impacted by the ban cannot enter the country while the ban is in place. More clarification is needed from the Department of Homeland Security. For Cubans and Venezuelans who have already obtained multiple-entry visas, this could mean that although the visa will not be revoked, their entry into the US could still be denied. It is unclear how this will play out in practice, as individuals from Cuba and Venezuela with valid B, F, M, and J visas land in U.S. airports seeking entry.
These visa categories include professors, scholars, and teachers, students, exchange program visitors, business visitors, tourists, and domestic employees, among others.
The exceptions include:
Professional athletes and coaches participating in major events
Any lawful permanent resident of the United States;
Any dual national of a country designated under sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation if the individual travels on their other passport
Foreign nationals traveling with a valid nonimmigrant visa in the following classifications: A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO‑2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6. This includes diplomats, foreign government officials, persons in transit to the United Nations (UN) headquarters, UN delegates, employees of recognized international organizations, and NATO representatives.
Immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g., DNA);
Adoptions (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4);
Case-by-case exceptions would be made only by the Attorney General and the Secretary of State
Cuban detainees launch protest at Krome detention center
On Thursday morning, dozens of Cuban detainees at the Krome detention center in southwest Miami-Dade staged a peaceful protest against their prolonged detention. Many of the detainees have been held for over a year and say they are trapped in legal limbo: Cuba refuses to accept their return, and the US will not release them.
Wearing gray sweatsuits marked with “SOS Cuba,” detainees used their bodies and white cloth to spell out “SOS Cuba” in the facility’s recreation yard, refusing to return indoors. One detainee told the Miami Herald they were unified and planning a hunger strike amid rumors they could be transferred to a prison in Texas. “It’s an injustice,” he said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the sit-in took place, describing it as peaceful.
On May 30, the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the Trump administration to proceed with ending the CHNV humanitarian parole process that temporarily protected over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The CHNV process, initiated under the Biden administration, allowed individuals from these countries to live and work legally in the US for up to two years if they applied with a lawful sponsor.
In a 6-3 decision, the justices granted emergency relief to the Justice Department, which had sought to overturn a lower court ruling that blocked Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's blanket termination of the program. The court’s decision means the administration can now begin mass removals of CHNV beneficiaries despite ongoing litigation over the legality of such sweeping revocations.
Justices Sotomayor and Jackson dissented, warning that the ruling would unleash “needless human suffering” before the courts reached a final decision. Advocates argued that terminating the program without individualized review violates federal immigration law and would immediately render hundreds of thousands undocumented, unemployable, and at risk of detention and deportation. To the Miami Herald, Linda Julien, the first Haitian-American elected to the Miami Gardens City Council, denounced what she called the hypocrisy at the heart of U.S. immigration policy. “We are a nation that sings liberty but whispers restrictions. A nation that demands labor but blocks legal pathways,” she said. “Enough with the contradictions. Let this moment reflect not just compassion, but consistency.”
What was the cutoff date? Is this a mass termination of parole?
The early termination of the CHNV humanitarian parole process and the revocation of parole are not final as of now. An announcement to this effect from the Trump administration is expected imminently, which would result in a mass termination after a 30-day wind-down period. However, parolees could be deported anytime after the publication of the termination notice.
Despite the expected mass revocation of parole, ongoing legal challenges remain in lower courts across the country. Previous rulings have established that parole suspensions should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Legal experts are waiting to see the termination notice from the Trump administration, which may give insight into the legal resources humanitarian parolees have.
What does this mean for Cubans who entered under the CHNV program?
Cubans who arrived as CHNV parolees and have been in the country for a year and a day should be protected by the Cuban Adjustment Act.
Can Cubans with CHNV parole be deported?
Legally, Cubans who were paroled under CHNV cannot be deported as long as they have another legal status, such as a pending application under the Cuban Adjustment Act, or an asylum application. The Cuban government is only accepting one deportation flight per month, meaning that only around 80 Cubans can be deported to Cuba monthly. In order to increase the number of deportation flights, U.S. officials would have to come back to the table with Cuban officials and resume the migration negotiation rounds to review the implementation of the US-Cuba Migration Accords, a series of bilateral agreements dating back to 1984.
Where do US-Cuba relations stand?
US-Cuba relations have become increasingly strained under the Trump administration. Aside from redesignating Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terror, the Trump administration has promised more sanctions and is seemingly committed to its “Tough US-Cuba” stance A top official for Cuba’s government, Johana Tablada, recently said that the relationship between the governments is currently “at zero,” and expressed that the State Department is not interested in having conversations. Cuba proposed further dialogue with the United States on migration and has continued to uphold the 2017 agreement, which allows for deportation flights of Cuban nationals back to the island.
In contrast, a State Department spokesperson stated the Trump administration had “no indication” that Cuba’s government was ready for dialogue with the US. This might have to do with the premise that Cuba is not willing to make additional concessions. In the Politico article, Tablada is quoted: “They’re doing everything possible to blow up what’s left of the relationship and the adult in the room is the Cuban government…If we did what they wanted, we’d be giving a pretext for those people who want to break off relations, create a migration crisis and prompt a military intervention from the United States.”
Since the Trump administration took over in January of this year, Cuba has accepted five deportation flights from the US.
A Tense Back and Forth Between Cuba’s Foreign Ministry and the U.S. Chief of Mission
Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) issued a statement of protest against Mike Hammer, the Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Hammer has been traveling the country meeting with members of Cuban civil society, including prominent dissidents. MINREX accused the U.S. Chief of Mission of inciting Cuban citizens “to commit serious criminal acts, attack the constitutional order, or encourage them to act against the authorities.” It also called Hammer’s actions a violation of the Vienna Convention’s norms on diplomatic relations.
The U.S. State Department defended Hammer’s actions: "Chargé d’Affaires Mike Hammer remains steadfast in his diplomatic engagement, standing with the brave Cuban people as they endure repression and economic hardship. The United States is committed to bearing witness and amplifying their voices in the face of the regime’s failure.”
ETECSA Privileges Foreign Dollars, Spurring Protests and Harming Cubans without Family Abroad
Cuba’s state-run telecommunications company, ETECSA, announced new internet pricing measures that some call “digital apartheid.” As of May 30, Cubans can only purchase up to 360 pesos (about $0.97) of mobile internet in local currency every 30 days. After that, they must pay in U.S. dollars, a currency most Cubans don't earn. With mobile internet now costing more than a monthly wage, the move is expected to drastically limit access to online communication and information.
The public outcry was immediate, causing rare protests among university students. The University Student Federation (FEU), several faculties at the University of Havana, and the Higher Institute of Art (ISA) have posted public letters online expressing concern over their impact on students, educators, and professionals who rely on internet access for education and communication. In response to student outcry, ETECSA offered a partial concession by providing an additional 6GB of data at the subsidized rate for university students. However, many students argue that this is insufficient, as their average monthly data usage is around 10GB
The outrage over the price hike reached the highest levels of Cuba’s government, as President Díaz-Canel said on X that he was aware of “the opinions, criticisms, and dissatisfaction of our people with the measures announced by ETECSA.” He went on to blame the price hikes on the “criminal” U.S. embargo against Cuba: “We take no pleasure in any measure that limits benefits, and it is our duty to thoroughly explain each step taken to dodge the blows of the #Blockade.”
New Report shows that Cuba is the Oldest Country in Latin America and the Caribbean
A report from Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) indicated that Cuba is the oldest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. This has significant implications for the country as it already experiences an economic crisis and insecurity. With an aging population, the pension system is going to be strained further and the national healthcare system will increase in cost.
A 2024 report from Cuban demographer and economist Juan Albizu-Campos found that Cuba’s population had fallen by 18% between 2022 and 2023. Most of the emigrants were found to have been between 15-64 years of age. Cuba’s birth rate also reached the lowest level in the region, currently at a level insufficient to replace the amount of Cubans who pass away each year.
Recommended Reading, Viewing, Events:
Go | Free Concert in New York City’s Central Park on August 9: Celia Cruz Celebration: Isaac Delgado, Aymee Nuviola, Brenda Navarrete & Guests
Read | Miami Herald: ‘Lives torn apart’: Miami activists decry Supreme Court ruling on migrant protections
Read | AP: Cuban families devise ingenious solutions to endure frequent power shortages
Read | El País: Wendy Guerra: ‘This book touches on very serious wounds about Cuba. And in its language, never has one of my novels been so Cuban’
