DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Warns Migrants From Cuba, Haiti Not To Flee to U.S. Amid Unrest
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 26, 2021 in Washington, DC. Although the Biden Administration has yet to release its FY2022 budget for the Department of Homeland Security, Mayorkas testified about the immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, Coast Guard mission priorities and other topics. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has issued a warning to possible migrants from Cuba and Haiti against trying to enter the United States illegally amid domestic upheaval in both countries.

Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday, July 13, that the voyage will be too dangerous and they will not be allowed to enter the U.S., Daily Mail reported.

"If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States," the DHS chief noted.

Alejandro Mayorkas said Coast Guard officials are monitoring transport by air and have not seen a surge in migrants since the unrest in Cuba and the assassination of Haiti president Jovenel Moise last week. The DHS chief added that U.S. officials are prepared to deal with any surge.

Alejandro Mayorkas noted that the issue had personal importance to him, coming from a family who fled when the Communists had taken over Cuba and he highlighted the danger of the journey.

The DHS secretary added that even asylum-seekers who are fearing government persecution will not be allowed entry, National Review reported.

Alejandro Mayorkas said that people who are fearing persecution or torture from their own governments will not be allowed entry to the U.S. Instead, they will be transported to other third countries.

Cuba Protests

President Joe Biden said he stands with the Cuban protesters and their clamor for freedom as protests sparked across the streets of Havana and Santiago.

Joe Biden said the U.S. supports the Cubans as they assert their universal rights. He urged officials not to use violence against their own people just to impede the protests. Joe Biden also called the Cuban regime to hear the people instead of just enriching themselves.

Cuba is currently going through its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, along with a peak of COVID cases. It is also suffering the consequences of U.S. sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.

Some have been arrested during the protests. The demonstrations are considered to be the biggest one in decades against the country's Communist regime, BBC reported.

Unauthorized public gatherings are illegal in Cuba, while protests are rare. Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel described those protesting as "mercenaries."

Those protesting in the streets said they were angry about the collapse of the economy, food, and medicine shortages. They also cited price hikes and the government's response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Journalist Camila Acosta was among those who were arrested. Acosta was working at the time for Spanish newspaper ABC, covering the incident. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called for Acosta's release immediately.

Haiti in Upheaval

The Haitian government is hunting down the people responsible for the killing of Haiti President Jovenel Moise, which had caused political chaos in the country.

One of those arrested was an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA confirmed that the suspect was "at times" a confidential source to the agency, CNBC reported.

The DEA said the informant had reached out to his contacts at the DEA after the killing. The agency said that they are aware of reports the suspects yelled "DEA" during the attack. However, they denied that the individuals were acting on behalf of the agency.

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: DHS Chief Warns Cubans Against Migrating by Sea - From Associated Press