Pres. Obama’s decision to reestablish diplomatic ties with Cuba has led to a surge of Cuban migrants that has already exceeded FY15 numbers. The Customs and Border Patrol agency reported that 44,353 Cuban migrants have entered the U.S. in FY26 already compared to the 40,115 that entered last year.
The surge started after Pres. Obama’s trip to Cuba in 2015 when the number of Cuban migrants more than doubled from 17,66 in FY14. Many Cubans fear that the renewed diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba could signal the end of the “Wet-Foot, Dry Foot” policy.
The 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act started the policy that states if a Cuban leaves his home country and is caught at sea then they are sent back to Cuba, but if they make it to dry U.S. soil they are put on a fast track to citizenship. This makes them eligible for welfare benefits and can receive a green card after a year in the U.S. and are not subject to visa caps.
This mass exodus has led to migration problems in Central American as Cubans travel through these countries in hopes of reaching the southern U.S. border. Nicaragua closed its border to the migrants causing many Cubans to be stuck in Costa Rica and Panama. 9, 160 Cubans were airlifted out of those countries to Mexico but this has done little to stem the flow of the migrants.
Read more on this story at In Cuba Today.
