President Joe Biden has notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island.

After years of debate, the Biden administration has notified Congress that it will remove Cuba from the U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism, a label given the island nation in the last days of the previous Trump presidency.

WASHINGTON − President Joe Biden notified Congress of his plans to remove Cuba from the United States' list of state sponsors of terror, in a goodwill gesture the outgoing administration says is meant to help facilitate the release of political prisoners.