Mario Díaz-Balart says his push for Cubans with I-220A has not yet changed White House policy

October 18, 2026

Florida Republican Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart acknowledged that his efforts to persuade the Trump administration to find a solution for Cubans holding I-220A documents have not yet changed official policy. "We haven't achieved it so far," he said in an interview with journalist Mario J. Pentón published October 16 by Martí Noticias and also reported by Cubanet and CubitaNOW.

Díaz-Balart, who represents Florida's 26th district, said he supports the president's border controls but called the detention of people who are following a legal immigration process "unacceptable," describing parts of the enforcement as an "unnecessary and negative overreaction." He said that together with fellow representatives María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Giménez he has presented alternatives to senior White House and Department of Homeland Security officials. One proposal is a temporary program for people from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua that would review their backgrounds and address those who may have legitimate asylum claims. "The only person who can change this is the President of the United States," he said.

The I-220A is an order of release on recognizance issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Unlike parole, it has not allowed holders to apply under the Cuban Adjustment Act. In 2023 the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled that the two forms of release are legally distinct, leaving thousands of Cubans in South Florida in immigration limbo. In June, Salazar had asked the Department of Homeland Security to consider granting parole to Cubans with I-220A forms who have no criminal record.

In the same interview, the congressman said the administration has contacts with people close to Raúl Castro, while stressing that "these are not negotiations," and predicted political change on the island before Trump's term ends. The sources reviewed did not include a response from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security or the Cuban government to his remarks.