Cuban migrants seeking to enter the U.S.are overwhelming Mexican and American authorities at the sourthern border in Texas, a sign that despite President Obama's efforts to normalize relations, there is no respite in immigration from Cuba.
Nearly 30,000 Cubans have made it to Texas this year alone, an increase of 80 percent from the previous year, reports the
Washington Free Beacon.
The impetus are concerns that as part of normalization efforts between the two countries, the U.S. will end the 'wet foot, dry foot' policy that has been granted exclusively to Cubans who manage to reach American soil. The policy enables Cubans who make it to the U.S. to stay, and fast-tracks their immigration process so that they are legal residents within a year, and can apply for citizenship shortly thereafter.
Rather than taking to sea in rafts as was often common, Cubans now taking to traveling by land through Central America, into Mexico and to the U.S. border states. They often have to pay hefty bribes and suffer abuses, some Cuban immigrants told
The Wall Street Journal.
Highlighting the dire situation, on Tuesday desperate Cuban migrants stranded on their journey to the United States paralyzed a key border crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Long lines of buses and trucks formed on both sides of the frontier as the migrants refused to let traffic pass, authorities from the two countries said.
"The international transport of passengers and cargo remains paralyzed" at the Penas Blancas border post, the Nicaraguan government said, warning of disruptions to trade and transport "for the entire Central American region."
A spokesman for Costa Rica's immigration authority confirmed the blockage.
More than 2,000 Cubans remain stuck at the border, penniless and without immigration papers, all intent on reaching the U.S. border to the north.
Many were stranded when Costa Rica busted a human trafficking ring that was charging $7,000 to $15,000 (6,500 to 14,000 euros) to smuggle them into the United States.
Some conservative lawmakers have called for ending the dry foot policy. Rep. Paul Gosar (R., Ariz.) introduced a bill last month that would repeal the provision along with its authorization legislation, the Cuban Adjustment Act.
He said the policies “provide amnesty to Cuban aliens and are costing taxpayers billions of dollars.”
“If President Obama has normalized relations with Cuba, why would we treat illegal immigrants from that nation any different than those from other countries?” he said in a statement.
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