Trending Now - Deported Cubans and Venezuelans Face Peril in Mexico After US Expulsion
WHO:
CNN - Human Rights Watch (HRW) is the organization that published the report.
CNN - Fermín, a 52-year-old Cuban migrant, is mentioned in the report.
CNN - Alejo, a 50-year-old Cuban migrant, is also referenced in the report.
CNN - Miguel Ángel, a 67-year-old Cuban, is cited regarding his experience with the Cuban Consulate.
WHAT:
CNN - The report states that Mexico has received 12,977 migrants of various nationalities from the U.S. since the start of Trump’s second term, with Cuba being the largest group at 4,353.
AP News - More than half of the 41 Cubans interviewed had lived in the U.S. since the 1980s or 1990s, arriving during the Mariel boatlift or lottery program in the 1990s.
AP News - The report indicates that 16% of the deported Cubans had convictions for violent crimes, while one-fourth had no criminal history.
AP News - A shelter in Villahermosa has received Cuban deportees as old as 83 in the past year.
CNN - Thousands of Cuban migrants deported from the United States are in “a legal limbo” in Mexico.
ABC News World - The Trump administration has deported nearly 13,000 Cubans, Venezuelans, and others to Mexico.
CNN - The report states that 4,353 of the deported migrants to Mexico are from Cuba.
CNN - 35 of the interviewed Cuban migrants lost their green cards due to convictions for various offenses.
CNN - 15 interviewees reported experiencing “episodes of verbal and physical violence” in detention centers.
WHERE:
CNN - Deportees arrive in Tapachula, Chiapas state, and Villahermosa, Tabasco state, in Mexico.
CNN - Fermín was detained in the Alligator Alcatraz detention center in Florida.
CNN - Alejo was held in a detention center in El Paso, Texas.
WHEN:
CNN - The HRW report is based on deportation figures from January 2025 to March of the current year.
CNN - The report notes that the situation for Cuban migrants changed from the start of Trump’s second term.
WHY:
CNN - The absence of deportation agreements with Cuba led to the inability to deport certain individuals back to their country of origin.
CNN - The Trump administration sought to increase deportations, resulting in sending migrants to third countries like Mexico.
HOW:
AP News - None of the deported individuals were taken before a judge to contest their deportation to Mexico, even when they expressed fear for their safety.
CNN - Many Cuban migrants were detained while attending supervision appointments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or at their homes.
CNN - The report describes inhumane conditions in immigration detention centers, including contaminated water and raw food.
(UPDATED May 27, 2026 14:53 UTC)
Mexico has taken in nearly 13,000 migrants from the U.S. since the beginning of Trump’s second term, with Cubans making up the largest group at over 4,300. A recent report reveals that more than half of the Cubans interviewed had been living in the U.S. since the 1980s or 1990s, and while 16% of those deported had violent crime convictions, a quarter had no criminal history at all. Notably, a shelter in Villahermosa has accommodated Cuban deportees as old as 83, and none of these individuals were given the opportunity to contest their deportation in front of a judge, even when they expressed concerns for their safety.
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(UPDATED May 27, 2026 10:19 UTC)
A new report from Human Rights Watch reveals that thousands of Cuban migrants deported from the United States are currently in a state of “legal limbo” in Mexico, with 4,353 of them originating from Cuba. The report highlights the experiences of individuals like Fermín and Alejo, who faced detention in Florida and El Paso, respectively, and notes that many migrants have reported episodes of violence in detention centers. The situation has been exacerbated by the absence of deportation agreements with Cuba, which has led to the Trump administration's strategy of sending migrants to third countries like Mexico.