Which Cuban Officials Are Barred from Entering the U.S. Following Trump's Recent Sanctions?

The United States government has announced a significant tightening of its policy towards Cuba this week, which includes a major redefinition of who is considered a "prohibited official" of the regime. This decision translates into a new wave of migration restrictions that will prevent high-ranking Cuban government officials, along with a broad spectrum of individuals directly or indirectly connected to the state apparatus, from entering U.S. territory. This includes those involved in the political, military, judicial, union, and media sectors on the island.

These measures are part of the reissuance and amendment of the National Security Presidential Memorandum No. 5 (NSPM-5), initially enacted in 2017 under the previous administration of Donald Trump, and now updated to increase pressure on Havana. The document states that U.S. policy will be guided by its national security and foreign policy interests, "as well as solidarity with the Cuban people."

Who Is Affected by the New Restrictions?

The most emphatic section of the memorandum directs the Secretary of the Treasury to adjust current regulations to redefine the category of "prohibited officials," significantly expanding the scope of this classification under Title 31, Part 515 of the Code of Federal Regulations. As a result of this change, the following individuals will be barred from entering the United States or accessing immigration benefits under U.S. jurisdiction:

• Ministers and deputy ministers of the Cuban government.
• Members of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers.
• Members and employees of the National Assembly of People's Power.
• Members of any provincial assembly of People's Power.
• Local sector heads of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR).
• General directors, deputy general directors, and high-ranking officials of all ministries and state agencies.
• Employees of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR).
• Union leaders, specifically the secretaries and first secretaries of the Cuban Workers' Confederation (CTC) and its associated unions.
• Chief editors, editors, and subeditors of state media, including newspapers, television programs, and radio stations.
• Members and employees of the National Supreme Court.

This provision not only strengthens existing restrictions but also incorporates new key players from the Cuban state ecosystem who were not previously explicitly included in migration sanctions.

Memorandum's Rationale: More Pressure, Fewer Concessions

The memorandum's introduction reiterates that the Cuban people have endured suffering for decades under a "communist regime that represses their legitimate aspirations for freedom and prosperity and does not respect their essential human dignity." It condemns practices such as arbitrary detention of dissidents, reprisals against families of political prisoners, harassment of religious believers, repression of independent press, and censorship of internet access.

The U.S. administration declares its goal to promote "a stable, prosperous, and free Cuba," directing resources toward civil society and preventing economic benefits from reaching the regime.

Additional Measures Outlined in the Document

Beyond migration sanctions, the memorandum outlines a series of actions intended to reinforce the isolation of the Cuban regime:

• Strengthening the economic embargo, including prohibiting financial transactions with entities associated with the military or intelligence services, such as GAESA.
• Tighter restrictions on educational travel, requiring oversight by U.S. entities and legitimate purposes.
• Periodic audits of authorized travel to detect abuses or fraud in travel licenses.
• Oversight of democracy support programs to ensure alignment with the LIBERTAD Act's criteria.
• The creation of an interagency task force to explore expanding free internet access on the island.
• Active opposition in the United Nations and other international forums to any attempt to lift the embargo while conditions for a democratic transition in Cuba are unmet.

A Comprehensive Political and Ideological Strategy

Together, these actions reveal a comprehensive strategy of encirclement and pressure: not only targeting top government officials but also middle-level cadres, ideological operators, and union leaders. The aim is to dissuade collaboration with the system and generate internal tensions that, from Washington's perspective, could weaken the regime.

The memorandum's closing note reminds that none of these provisions create enforceable rights against the U.S. government and that all will be applied "as permitted by law" and based on budget availability.

Response from the Cuban Regime

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba's Foreign Minister, condemned the new U.S. policy towards Cuba announced by President Donald Trump as "criminal conduct" and a violation of human rights. "The Presidential Memorandum against Cuba unveiled today by the U.S. government reinforces aggression and the economic blockade that punishes the entire Cuban people and is the main obstacle to our development," wrote the head of Cuban diplomacy on X. "It is criminal conduct and a violation of the human rights of an entire nation," he added.