Trump-Supporting Cuban Rapper Faces Deportation, Asking for Help from Community and Politicians
The Cuban vote has always been at odds with the greater Latine community in the United States. Cubans helped to hand Florida to Republican politicians year after year. One of President Donald Trump’s most vocal allies is now feeling the consequences of the administration’s mass deportation efforts. Eliéxer Márquez Duany, whose stage name is El Funky, is facing deportation.
Eliéxer Márquez Duany, El Funky, is facing deportation
Social media users are not showing El Funky any sympathy. His announcement has spurned comments of people saying he got what he told people to vote for. The Cuban rapper was a big supporter of President Donald Trump. Now he has 30 days to leave the United States. His pleas for help are falling on largely deaf ears. Several high-profile Cuban-American politicians have stayed silent as the news spreads.
According to POLITICO, only one politician has made any statement about El Funky.
“El Funky is a political refugee who deserves the full protection of U.S. immigration law,” Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) told POLITICO. “We are working with the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to ensure they understand the serious risk of torture and political persecution he faces if returned to Cuba.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who celebrated “Patria y Vida” has remained silent on El Funky’s fast approaching deadline. No word on if the federal government will do anything to protect El Funky.
The rapper was a prominent figure during the #CubaLibre movement
El Funky is one of the artists on “Patria y Vida.” The song became a rallying cry for Cubans across the globe yearning for a free and democratic Cuba. The song was the fuel for the largest protests in Cuba’s history. For the first time, people took to the streets against their government. It was a rare moment of uprising against the communist regime that captured the world’s attention.
There is a fear that El Funky could face imprisonment if sent back to Cuba. The Cuban government silences political and social dissidents. It is likely that his return to Cuba could mean a harsh punishment.
The U.S. government gave El Funk y30 days to leave or be deported
Two weeks ago, El Funky took to social media to garner sympathy and support for his cause. The comment section is filled with people who are not interested in showing support.
“I have 30 days to leave the country or I will be deported,” reads the Instagram caption in Spanish two weeks ago. “I ask all of my Cuban brothers and sisters who know of my anti-communist history and the members of Congress of this country, that today, more than ever, I need your support.🇨🇺”
El Funky recently tried to adjust hsi residency status using the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966. His application was denied and he was given the deportation v. self-removal ultimatum. In 2017, the Obama administration amended the landmark legislation that granted Cubans a special path to U.S. citizenship. The amendment means that Cubans who arrived in the U.S. without a visa are not allowed to adjust their residency status.
