Imposing Sanctions on Those Responsible for Repression in Cuba and for Threats to United States National Security and Foreign Policy
The order imposes a comprehensive sanctions regime against individuals and entities responsible for repression in Cuba or tied to the Cuban government, immediately blocking their U.S.-held property and barring their entry into the United States.
It builds on a national emergency declared in January 2026 and extends its reach to foreign banks that process significant transactions for sanctioned persons, giving the Treasury and State Departments broad authority to designate targets and enforce restrictions.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury to block all U.S.-held property and property interests of designated foreign persons connected to the Cuban government, including those operating in key economic sectors (energy, defense, finance, metals and mining, and security), those who have committed serious human rights abuses or corruption, senior Cuban government officials, and their adult family members. It also suspends U.S. entry for all such designated persons as immigrants or nonimmigrants, unless the Secretary of State grants a national-interest exception. Foreign financial institutions that conduct significant transactions on behalf of sanctioned persons may face additional sanctions, including restrictions on U.S. correspondent banking accounts or a full property block.
The order delegates implementation authority to the Secretaries of State and Treasury, who may issue rules, regulations, licenses, and guidance. It requires the Secretary of the Treasury to submit recurring and final reports to Congress on the national emergency and the authorities exercised under it. Existing licenses issued under 31 C.F.R. Part 515 (the Cuban Assets Control Regulations) are preserved, and the order's prohibitions apply subject to statutory exceptions under IEEPA.
Who it affects
Foreign individuals and entities linked to the Cuban government — including senior officials, executives, human rights abusers, corruption actors, and their adult family members — whose U.S. property is blocked and who are barred from entering the United States. U.S. persons and foreign financial institutions that transact with those designated targets are also directly restricted.
Why it matters
U.S. banks and businesses face legal exposure if they transact with newly designated Cuban-linked individuals or entities. Foreign banks that process payments for sanctioned persons risk losing access to U.S. correspondent accounts. Designated individuals cannot enter the United States and have any U.S.-held assets frozen without prior notice.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The Secretary of State or Secretary of the Treasury designates persons meeting the order's criteria; no prior notice to the target is required. Once designated, a person's U.S. property is immediately frozen and their U.S. entry suspended. Foreign financial institutions face a secondary-sanctions trigger: Treasury, in consultation with State, monitors whether they conduct significant Cuba-related transactions for sanctioned persons and may then impose correspondent-account restrictions or a full property block. Treasury must file recurring and final reports to Congress under the NEA and IEEPA.
Actions and deadlines
- Designate persons meeting sanctionable criteria and block their U.S. property and interests
- Implement and effectuate the order through regulations, notices, guidance, and Federal Register publications
- Submit recurring and final reports to Congress on the national emergency and authorities exercised