National Government Status of 35,000 Cuban Immigrants Listed for Deportation Remains Questionable

BRADENTON — Thousands of Cuban immigrants are stuck in muddy bureaucratic waters, with the United States government wanting to deport them and the Cuban government not yet accepting them back.

NBC 6 South Florida reported Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has advised of more than 35,000 Cubans in the U.S. have outstanding deportation orders. Many are listed as national security threats and criminals, while about 10,000 are of a lower priority to U.S. immigration officials.

But because Cuban President Raul Castro has not permitted the return of those Cubans, they cannot be deported. Despite the recent thaw between the U.S. and the island, it is not yet known whether Castro will choose to allow their return..

Deporting immigrants back to Cuba has historically been a difficult task due to minimal relations between the two countries since the Castro Revolution. Those efforts are not likely to get much easier even if the Cuban government starts permitting Cubans to return home, as U.S. immigration officials this year are on pace to deport the fewest since 2006.

Havana's capitol building (public domain photo)