Bad move that will be reversed in 7 days
Obama Ends Exemption for Cubans Who Arrive Without Visa
President Obama during his farewell address in Chicago on Tuesday.
DOUG MILLS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Obama Ends Exemption for Cubans Who Arrive Without Visa
President Obama during his farewell address in Chicago on Tuesday.DOUG MILLS / THE NEW YORK TIMES
- By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and FRANCES ROBLES
JANUARY 12, 2017
WASHINGTON — President Obama said Thursday that he was terminating the 22-year-old policy that has allowed Cubans who arrived on United States soil without visas to remain in the country and gain legal residency, an unexpected move long sought by the Cuban government.
“Effective immediately, Cuban nationals who attempt to enter the United States illegally and do not qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal, consistent with U.S. law and enforcement priorities,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries.”
The so-called “wet foot, dry foot” policy, which dates to 1995, owes its name to its unusual rules, which require Cubans caught trying to reach the United States by sea to return home, yet allow those who make it onto American soil to stay and eventually apply for legal, permanent residency.
