Deportation of Cubans to Third Countries: What We Know About the U.S.–Uruguay Talks

On July 29, 2026, The New York Times reported that the United States government has been holding talks with Uruguay so that country would receive migrants deported from U.S. territory, primarily Cuban nationals. The story was picked up immediately by dozens of outlets across the region and caused concern within the Cuban community both inside and outside the United States.

Our firm receives questions every day from Cuban nationals who want to know what this means for their case. That is why we prepared this article: to separate what is confirmed from what is not, and to explain, in plain language, which scenarios are already a reality and which remain an ongoing negotiation.

Here is the most important point up front: as of the date of this publication there is no signed agreement between the United States and Uruguay, and the Cuban Adjustment Act remains in effect. But the broader context has changed significantly in recent months, and there are specific groups within the Cuban community that are more exposed than others.

What was actually reported

According to The New York Times report, State Department officials have spent several months in discussions with Uruguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the possibility of that country receiving people deported from the United States. According to sources cited by that newspaper, Cuban nationals would in practice be the main group, although the text of any eventual agreement might not name them expressly.

The report also notes that Uruguay has an established Cuban community — roughly 12,000 people, according to Uruguay’s 2023 census — and that some Cubans currently in the United States may have relatives there.

What the Uruguayan government said

This is where it pays to be careful with what circulates on social media.

Uruguayan outlets went directly to their own sources inside Uruguay’s Foreign Ministry. El Observador confirmed the dialogue with Washington has been ongoing for months, and Subrayado published the official sources’ exact words: “there is still nothing concrete”. Those same sources added, as reported by Ámbito, that these are conversations similar to the ones the United States maintains with several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and that the negotiations are not exclusively about Cuban nationals.

The MercoPress agency summed the situation up accurately: Montevideo stops short of confirming a deal.

Important: a negotiation is not an agreement, and an agreement is not a deportation. These are three separate stages. Today, according to Uruguayan authorities themselves, we are at the first one.

What is confirmed: third-country deportation is already happening

Although the Uruguay case is still under negotiation, the mechanism being discussed — sending a deported person to a country other than their country of nationality — is no longer hypothetical for the Cuban community.

It is documented by human rights organizations and independent media that during 2026:

Cuban nationals with deportation orders were transferred to Mexico. Human Rights Watch published a May 2026 report on the situation of Cubans and other third-country nationals sent to Mexican territory.
Cuban nationals were sent to African countries such as Eswatini and South Sudan, where they remained in detention facilities. Telemundo Noticias documented the situation of those deported to Eswatini and PBS NewsHour reported the case of a Cuban national deported to Africa.

This same mechanism has also been applied to nationals of other Latin American countries. We will not go into the details of each situation in this article, but it is worth keeping in mind: this is not a policy aimed exclusively at the Cuban community.

The deportation numbers

To understand the current moment, it helps to look at the figures.

Direct deportations to Cuba: according to OnCubaNews, as of late June 2026 Cuba had received 740 people deported from the United States across 25 operations. One relevant detail in that report is that those operations did not all depart from U.S. territory — they came from various countries in the region.

Historical comparison: the independent outlet elTOQUE documented the historical repatriation figures and reported that 1,498 Cubans were returned to the island during 2025, a volume considerably higher than under previous administrations.

The largest group: according to that same analysis, more than 42,000 Cuban nationals remain in the United States with final deportation orders that Cuba had, until recently, not agreed to accept.

That last figure is, in our view, the key to understanding the Uruguay story. When a country of origin will not accept its deported nationals, the U.S. government looks for alternative destinations. That is where third-country negotiations come in.

Who is most exposed within the Cuban community

Not every Cuban national in the United States is in the same position. These are the groups that, given the current context, should review their case with the greatest urgency:

1. Those who already have a final deportation order. This is the group most directly affected by any agreement with a third country. A final order does not always mean nothing can be done, but it does mean that timing matters.

2. Those who entered under an order of supervision. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fall into this category, and the legal picture is still in motion. During 2026, some immigration judges in various cities granted residency to people in this situation, but the government appealed virtually all of those decisions. Separately, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals vacated prior Board of Immigration Appeals decisions and ordered those cases reviewed again without resolving the underlying question. As Martí Noticias reported, this is a partial victory that opens a second chance at review, but it does not guarantee automatic approvals or establish a definitive standard for everyone.

3. Those who lost a temporary permission to remain. The humanitarian parole programs that benefited Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans were terminated, and that termination was upheld in court. Many of these individuals were left without valid status.

4. Those with a pending case who have not kept it updated. Address changes, changes in family circumstances, or unanswered notices can carry serious consequences in the current environment.

5. Those who believe they are protected by the Cuban Adjustment Act but have not verified their eligibility. The law remains in effect, but administrative directives issued during 2026 have made the process more demanding in practice. Being covered by a law in the abstract is not the same as meeting all of its requirements in your specific case.

The context on the island

Any analysis of this topic is incomplete without mentioning the situation in Cuba.

In recent months, the U.S. government’s economic pressure policy has severely restricted fuel shipments to the island, worsening an already existing energy crisis. La Nación documented how the Cuban population is coping with the lack of fuel, and Univisión reported on recent adjustments to that policy.

Our firm takes no political position on these measures or on the government of any country. We mention them because they are part of the context that explains why Cuban migration remains a central issue in U.S. foreign policy, and because conditions in the country of origin can be legally relevant in certain types of cases.

What has not changed

Knowing what is not happening is just as important as knowing what is. As of the date of this publication:

There is no signed agreement between the United States and Uruguay. Uruguayan authorities have expressly denied it.
The Cuban Adjustment Act remains in effect. It has not been repealed.
No one is being sent to Uruguay at this time as a result of this news.
Having a pending case does not mean being at immediate risk of deportation.

We ask you something sincerely: be skeptical of the alarmist messages that will circulate on social media in the coming days claiming that “Cubans will be sent to Uruguay.” That is not what the sources say. And be equally skeptical of anyone offering you immediate solutions without having reviewed your file.

Frequently asked questions

Does this news mean I will be deported to Uruguay?
No. This is a negotiation between two governments that, according to Uruguay’s own Foreign Ministry, has not reached anything concrete. No one is being sent to Uruguay for this reason.

Is the Cuban Adjustment Act over?
No. The law remains in effect. What has changed during 2026 is the way certain administrative requirements are applied, which can affect individual cases differently.

I have had a deportation order for years and nothing ever happened. Should I be concerned?
The 2026 landscape is not the landscape of previous years. Cuba has been accepting deportation flights more frequently, and the United States is actively seeking alternative destinations. We recommend reviewing your situation with an attorney rather than assuming things will stay the same.

Can I do anything if I fall into one of the groups mentioned?
In many cases legal alternatives do exist, but which ones apply depends entirely on your immigration history, your manner of entry, your dates and your family circumstances. That assessment cannot be made through social media or with general information — it requires reviewing your file in a consultation.

Does this affect only Cubans?
No. The third-country deportation mechanism has been applied to nationals of several countries. This article focuses on the Cuban community because that is the group directly named in the report.

Our recommendation

If you are a Cuban national and find yourself in any of the situations described — a final deportation order, an order of supervision, a terminated humanitarian permission, a pending case, or simply uncertainty about your eligibility — we recommend scheduling a consultation so we can review your file specifically.

In a consultation with attorney Jesús Reyes, your complete history is reviewed, we identify which category you are actually in, and we evaluate the legal alternatives that may exist for your case. Every file is different, and the difference between an available option and a missed opportunity is usually in the details.

We offer consultations in person, by phone and by email. We also offer emergency consultations, which are scheduled more promptly and carry a different fee. Our consultations are not free, precisely because they involve a real and detailed review of your case by the attorney.

We handle cases worldwide. Contact us to start resolving your case.