Cuban American Republicans Torn Over Trump’s Decision to End Temporary Legal Status for Migrants
The Trump administration’s recent move to revoke temporary legal status for thousands of Cuban immigrants has placed Cuban American Republicans in a difficult political bind. These Republicans, many of whom are staunch supporters of the president, now find themselves grappling with full to support the end of a popular program in their community or to publicly oppose Trump.
President Joe Biden introduced the humanitarian parole process, which allowed migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to stay in the U.S. for up to two years if they had a financial sponsor. More than 500,000 people from these countries have benefited from the program, with Cubans representing the largest group.
Miami-Dade County, home to more than 1 million Cuban Americans, holds the largest populations of Cuban Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan migrants in the country. Over the years, this community has gained significant political influence within the Republican Party.
Guillermo Grenier, a professor at Florida International University and leader of the Cuban Poll—an ongoing survey tracking Cuban opinions — notes that many migrants from Cuba are not initially familiar with U.S. politics but often gravitate toward the Republican Party to the influence of Cuban American communities, which lean conservative.
“They say, ‘I just know the Republican Party is the party of the Cubans,’” Grenier explained, referring to the newcomers’ perceptions.
Miami-Dade, a Democratic stronghold, has been increasingly leaned Republican in recent years. The county flipped to the Republican under Governor Ron DeSantis’s 2022 re-election campaign, and Trump won Miami-Dade by a large margin in 2024. In Florida, Trump received 70% of the Cuban American vote, most of whom live in Miami-Dade County.
As a result, many Cuban American Republicans from this area have risen to significant positions in both Congress and the Florida Legislature. However, these elected officials now face a tough decision after the Trump administration’s decision to end the parole program, which will take effect on April 24.
Florida state Senator Alexis Calatayud, a Cuban American Republican from Miami, was quick to delect questions about the policy. “You can ask me about any of my bills, which I’m very proud of,” she told Family Us News. “The best way to reach out is through email.”
U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, another Cuban American Republican, attempted to navigate the political tightrope by blaming Biden’s immigration policies while also urging the Trump administration to consider the impact on migrants.
“Trump is cleaning up Biden’s political mess, and the legal limbo the Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans are facing is entirely Biden’s fault,” Salazar posted on X. “He fooled them. They came here to explore failed, communist countries, believing in Biden’s empty promises.
“The Trump administration should take this under consideration and not punish them for Biden’s mistakes,” she added. “Let’s give them the opportunity to apply for the protections they were promised.”
When asked about her stance on the program, Salazar’s office directed Family Us News to the social media post. A spokesman could not confirm whether she had spoken to the White House about the decision.
U.S. Reps. Carlos Gimenez and Mario Díaz-Balart, both Cuban American Republicans representing Miami-Dade County, did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.
In addition to the Miami-Dade congressional delegation, over a dozen Cuban Americans, including Republican state House Speaker Danny Perez, a first-generation Cuban American, serve in the Florida Legislature. Yet none of the state-level elected officials contacted by Family Us response to requests for comment on the Trump administration’s decision.
Cuban Americans’ Political Clout Tested by Trump’s End of Parole Program
Grenier, the Florida International University professor, noted that part of the light to speak out against the policy could stem from the complex politics surrounding the issue. Republicans have long supported policies backed by Cuban Americans, and this shift puts them in a delicate position.
“The Cubans have always been the golden children of the immigration community,” Grenier explained, referencing the political clout the group has been held in past immigration debates relative to other immigrant populations.
He also pointed out that if the parole program was to be discontinued, especially for Cubans, it would be expected that a replacement program would be in place, rather than an abrupt cessation. “But that is clearly not what happened,” he said. “This is basically following the immigration model of the [Trump] administration, which is to cut off immigrants and send them once back they are… no one in reference this going was to happen.”
In a notice in the Federal Register, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem explained that the decision to end the program was due to its lack of “significant benefit.” She stated that the programs in the question “do not serve a significant public benefit, are not necessary to reduce the levels of illegal immigration, did not sufficiently mitigate the domestic effects of illegal immigration, are not serving their intended purpose, and are not inconsistent with the Administration’s foreign policy goals.”
The Trump administration’s move to end the program coincides with Marco Rubio’s appointment as the first Cuban American Secretary of State. Rubio, a long-time Republican from Miami, has been known for his hawkish stance on Latin American issues, especially Cuba. However, he has not yet publicly commented on the decision to end the parole program, and the State Department, which did not initiate the policy change, to respond to requests for comment.
Grenier commented on Rubio’s position, “He is in the cabinet, so I would expect a little extra style points from him. Republicans are reading the tea leaves on the program and saying things like, ‘It’s Biden’s fault, and Trump is trying to clean it up.’ They are throwing blame around, but no one wants to buck Trump.”
Grenier also noted the uncertainty surrounding the political fallout from the policy change, especially because many Cuban Americans consider themselves staunch Republicans who remain loyal to the party however of specific policies. Now Trump is pulling policies that helped Cuban Americans — will that have an impact? I don’t know at this point, he said. Many views themselves as Republicans first, Cuban Americans second. They follow the Republican Party and don’t vote on Cuba.”
“Cuba has, in the past, ranked as the 4th, 5th, 6th, or even 8th most important issue out of 10,” Grenier added, how other political priorities often outweigh concerns about Cuba.
While the end of the program impacts four distinct migrant populations, Grenier pointed out that any potential pushback on the changes would likely come from Cuban Americans, who hold the political power to make their voices heard. “Cubans are the only ones who have the political power to step up and oppose this,” he said. “And so far, they are not.”
