The New York Times traces how the Trump administration has sharply escalated removals to Cuba, deporting more than 1,600 people in 2025 alone—about twice that from the prior year, and more than any of President Trump's three most recent predecessors. A University of Miami history professor and Cuban studies expert notes "a growing amount of unease" in the Cuban-American community, which largely leans Republican, as older Cuban exiles who once benefited from generous policies watch newer arrivals face detention and expulsion. NBC News previously noted another group facing a "thorny political position" after the Trump administration moved to pull back temporary legal status for thousands of Cubans early last year: local Republican lawmakers of Cuban heritage now trying to "thread the needle" of criticizing Trump's aggressive actions while simultaneously continuing to support the GOP and slamming past Democratic administrations for immigration issues.
Author: Jenn Gidman with Newser.AI
Published at: 2026-01-21 22:14:17
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