Despite the progress made in restoring Cuban and American ties, there is one question that remains to be addressed: Should the U.S. deport the nearly 30,000 convicted Cuban immigrants who have served their prison terms?

After decades of hostility and tension, the U.S. and Cuban have made tremendous strides in reestablishing diplomatic relations. However, there are still thousands of convicted Cubans residing in our country.

Cuban Felons In the U.S.

Immigrants who commit crimes in the U.S. are subjected to be deported back to their homelands. However, undocumented immigrants from Cuba who committed crimes have been allowed to stay in the U.S. since relations between the two nations severed back in the 1960s. As a result, 28,400 convicted Cuban criminals currently live in the U.S., including more than 2,000 murderers. Meanwhile, the majority of them -- about 18,000 -- reside in Florida.

However, following President Obama's effort to re-establish relations with Cuba, thousands of convicted Cuban nationals could now potentially face final orders of removal to their homeland. This raises the following question: Should all of the Cuban felons be sent back, or should only violent offenders and drug traffickers be deported?

"Ten or 15 years ago, this issue [of deporting Cuban felons] would have caused a lot of consternation within the Cuban American community," said Dario Moreno, an associate professor at Florida International University, to theMiami Herald. "But today, I don't think there's going to be much sympathy for them."

Who Should Be Deported?

According to Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Miami, "Dangerous criminals should be deported to Cuba at the earliest date possible, while those guilty of minor offenses should be given the opportunity to stay once they have paid their debts to society," he told the Miami Herald.

On the other hand, Miami defense attorney Jose "Pepe" Herrera, who represents convicted Cubans who are now facing deportations, says "Many of these Cubans have lived virtually their entire life in the United States and have significant family ties here, including minor dependent children born in this country. The issue is indeed thorny," Herrera said. He added that some non-violent offenders might be able to challenge their deportations if they have established roots in this country.

What Will Happen Next?

Meanwhile, Havana officials still refuse to take back their criminals. Plus, the Obama administration has said it "has no plans to change" its "current immigration policy toward Cuba." This means that there is a good chance that the fate of Cuban felons living on U.S. soil will likely end up in the hands of the next U.S president.

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