A Cuban national is among the undocumented immigrants with dangerous criminal backgrounds apprehended by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during recent nationwide raids over the weekend.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement announcing the arrest of foreign criminals with previous felony convictions, including Cuban citizen Lázaro Mateo Ruiz, who was taken into custody in Florida.
Ruiz has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter with a firearm, a weapons-related offense, and robbery in Miami-Dade County.
Due to his criminal activities, ICE has placed him on their "Worst of the Worst" list, a designation for "violent foreign offenders" deemed a threat to public safety.
The list, released on Monday, includes undocumented immigrants with criminal records involving illicit sexual conduct with minors, sexual assault, kidnapping, homicide, assault, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and armed robbery.
The DHS highlighted that 70% of ICE arrests involve undocumented immigrants accused or convicted of a crime in the United States.
ICE's crackdown aligns with the stringent immigration control policies of the Trump administration, which aims to apprehend and expel undocumented immigrants, prioritizing those with criminal offenses.
An unspecified number of Cuban immigrants with criminal histories have been detained by ICE since January and placed in detention centers, awaiting deportation.
The Trump administration has been sending illegal immigrants with serious criminal records to third countries when their home nations refuse to accept them back.
In June, a Supreme Court ruling permitted the White House to deport certain immigrants to countries other than their origin, even if they face risks of torture or death there.
This situation could affect many Cubans, as the Havana regime refuses to accept back individuals with criminal records in the U.S. or those who emigrated before January 2017.
Prior to the Supreme Court's decision, two Cubans with extensive criminal records were sent to South Sudan, while another was deported to the Kingdom of Eswatini in July. Other island nationals have been relocated to Mexico, although specific numbers have not been disclosed.
From January to September this year, 999 individuals were deported to Cuba from the U.S. by air, under the current migration agreements between the two countries.
Official DHS data indicates that over 42,000 Cubans have final deportation orders, but the island's regime's reluctance to accept them back has complicated expulsion processes.
Key Information on ICE Arrests and Deportations
Why was Lázaro Mateo Ruiz included in ICE's "Worst of the Worst" list?
Lázaro Mateo Ruiz was included in this list due to his convictions for voluntary manslaughter with a firearm, a weapons-related offense, and robbery, marking him as a significant public safety threat.
What is the significance of the Supreme Court ruling regarding deportations?
The Supreme Court ruling allows the U.S. government to deport immigrants to countries other than their origin, even if they might face risks such as torture or death, which is significant in enforcing strict immigration laws.
How has the Trump administration's immigration policy affected Cuban immigrants?
The Trump administration's policy has led to the detention and deportation of many Cuban immigrants with criminal records, often to third countries, as Cuba is reluctant to accept them back.
How many Cubans have been deported from the U.S. to Cuba this year?
From January to September, 999 Cubans were deported to Cuba from the United States, according to migration agreements between the two nations.