Cuba calls Trump’s proposed mass deportation of immigrants "unrealistic and unfair," urging adherence to U.S.-Cuba migration accords. Trump aims to deport record numbers, focusing on criminals, but faces criticism for potential community and family impacts.
HAVANA (Reuters) -A proposal by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for mass deportation of immigrants living illegally in the United States that may include Cubans is unrealistic and unfair, Cuba's deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.
Trump has pledged a vast immigration crackdown, aiming to deport record numbers of immigrants, an operation that his running mate JD Vance estimated could remove 1 million people a year.
Wednesday's comments by Carlos Fernandez de Cossio followed routine migration talks in Havana with counterparts from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
Any such deportation proposal must be vetted within the bounds of existing migration agreements between the United States and Cuba, he told reporters.
"In that context, it's not realistic to think that there could be mass deportations from the United States to Cuba," de Cossio said.
Under existing accords, Cuba has accepted small numbers of deportations from the U.S. by air and by sea during the Biden administration.
Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan has said deportations would focus on criminals and those given final deportation orders, but has not committed to exemptions for specific groups or nationalities.
The Trump deportation proposal was not discussed with Biden officials during Wednesday's two-way migration talks, de Cossio said.
A U.S. delegation had met Cuban officials in Havana to review the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords, which date back to 1984, Brian Nichols, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, said on X.
"(The delegation) highlighted our success curbing irregular Cuban maritime and land-based migration," Nichols said.
It was unclear whether Trump would abide by existing accords with Cuba or seek to renegotiate them, as he has in other circumstances.
For decades, Cuba has blamed the U.S. Cold War-era trade embargo for decimating its economy and encouraging the mass migration of Cubans to the United States.
But a large-scale deportation to send them back home would be drastic and unfair, de Cossio said.
"Trying to deport tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of Cubans to Cuba ... would be uprooting people who have already made their lives in the United States," he added.
Trump struggled to ramp up deportations during his first term, from 2017 to 2021.
When counting both immigration removals and faster “returns” to Mexico by U.S. border officials, Biden deported more immigrants in fiscal 2023 than in any Trump year, government data shows.
Immigrant advocates warn that a broader Trump deportation effort would be costly, divisive and inhumane, leading to family separations and devastating communities.
The U.S. will remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal. Havana welcomed the move but criticised ongoing U.S. sanctions.
Russia says it will provide Cuba with around 80,000 tonnes of diesel fuel after the island's electric grid collapsed when Hurricane Rafel damaged homes.
Hurricane Rafael struck western Cuba on Thursday, causing widespread damage in Artemisa province, known as Havana's breadbasket. The storm toppled power lines, damaged homes, and uprooted trees. It also knocked out power for 10 million people.
Cuba's electrical grid collapsed Wednesday as Hurricane Rafael struck, leaving millions without power and causing widespread damage across the island.
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U.S. Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus co-chairs honour the 35th anniversary of January 20, reflecting on its impact as a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's fight for independence.
Thousands in Belgrade held a silent protest outside RTS, honouring victims of a roof collapse. University students demanded justice for the tragedy, blaming Serbian authorities.
South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court to contest his detention extension on insurrection charges tied to his martial law declaration.
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