Cubans Claimed by Their Relatives in the U.S. Complain about Not Being Able to Travel
MIAMI, United States – Hundreds of potential migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are facing obstacles to boarding flights to the United States, despite having met the requirements for family reunification, according to a report published Thursday by Martí Noticias.
The new Donald Trump administration has reversed several immigration programs established under Joe Biden’s presidency, causing concern among those whose processes had already been approved.
Martí Noticias highlighted the case of Cuban Olga Lidia Hernández, who was denied boarding a flight to the United States despite having the necessary travel permits under the Cuban Family Reunification Program (CFRP). “When we went to board the plane, they told us to go to the U.S. Embassy for more information, but they didn’t let us travel,” the Cuban woman said. “They told me my travel permit had been denied and gave me no further explanation.”
Olga’s mother, Bárbara León, expressed her dismay at the situation: “I’ve been waiting eight years for this moment. I traveled to Cuba, and they turned us back at the airport. They treated us very poorly. We followed all the proper immigration procedures. It’s not fair.”
Similar stories are being reported in other countries across the region, revealing a pattern of cancellations of flights authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to sources consulted by Martí Noticias.
Under the Biden administration, the CFRP and other similar programs were modernized to streamline the family reunification process. According to DHS, once the I-130 petition was approved and the Declaration of Financial Support (I-134A) verified, immigrants received travel authorization to present themselves at a U.S. port of entry. However, Trump has revoked most of these provisions and closed access to the CBP One app.
In Cuba’s case, the CFRP remained inactive for years due to the “mysterious health incidents” that affected U.S. diplomats. When the program was reactivated, many finally saw an opportunity to reunite with their families in the United States.
This week, it was also revealed that the Trump administration had granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) broader powers to quickly deport migrants who had legally entered the United States under Biden-era programs.
According to an internal memo obtained by The New York Times, ICE authorities are now authorized to remove migrants who participated in two key initiatives of Joe Biden’s administration: the CBP One app — which allowed migrants to schedule entry appointments — and the humanitarian parole program, which provided temporary entry to migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti.
Both measures were intended to create legal pathways to discourage irregular border crossings. In total, around 1.4 million people had entered the U.S. through these programs since early 2023. According to the report, Trump’s intention is to “utilize every facet of the immigration enforcement apparatus” to toughen policies, not only against those crossing the border without authorization but also against those who entered through previously valid procedures.
Sigue nuestro canal de WhatsApp. Recibe la información de CubaNet en tu celular a través de Telegram.