Business View - August 2015 17
Cuba, our outdated Cold War immigration policies
with that nation must end,” declared Dan Stein,
president of FAIR.
Specifically, the thaw in relations with Cuba must
result in President Obama pushing for the repeal of
the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act, the end of the wet
foot/dry foot policy, elimination of the minimum an-
nual allocation of the 20,000 immigration visas for
Cubans, termination of the 2007 Cuban Family Re-
unification Program, and
a commitment by Cuba
to accept repatriation of
criminal aliens who are
deported from the United
States. “If we are treat-
ing Cuba like virtually ev-
ery other nation on earth
in terms of trade, cultural
exchanges and diplomacy,
then we should also treat
Cuban citizens like every-
one else when it comes to
immigration to the United
States,” said Stein.
Under the Cuban Adjustment Act and the wet foot/
dry foot policy, Cuban nationals who set foot on
American soil, regardless of how they got here, are
permitted to remain and adjust their status to per-
manent legal immigrants after one year. In addition,
under a policy established by President Bill Clinton
in 1994, Cuba is the only country in the world guar-
anteed a minimum number of immigration visas to
the U.S. each year. Cuba is also among a handful
of rogue nations that refuses to allow repatriation
of their own citizens who have been convicted of
crimes in the United States.
“The special immigration policies we have had for
Cubans have never made sense, nor have they
achieved any beneficial effect for Cuba or the U.S.
For decades, these policies have been driven by do-
mestic political considerations. Now they are com-
pletely without justification.
“Moving forward, Cubans who arrive here illegally
or overstay visas should be subject to removal; Cu-
ban nationals who wish to immigrate to the U.S.
should apply under the same set of rules that ap-
ply to everyone else; and we must expect that the
government of Cuba will act in good faith when it
comes to accepting the return of criminal aliens.
Normalization means normalization,” concluded
Stein.
ABOUT FAIR
Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immi-
gration reform group. With over 250,000 members
nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that
serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR
believes that immigration reform must enhance na-
tional security, improve the economy, protect jobs,
preserve our environment, and establish a rule of
law that is recognized and enforced.
