Green card approvals for Cubans have nearly stopped under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, while ICE arrests of people from the island have surged, according to a new Cato Institute analysis.
Since December 2024, green card approvals for Cubans have fallen 99.8%, while ICE arrests of Cubans have risen 463%, the libertarian think tank found. In October 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved more than 10,000 Cuban applicants for lawful permanent residence. By January 2026, only 15 Cubans became permanent residents, according to the study reported by the Miami Herald.