Reuters
January 12, 2016
Senator
Marco Rubio, a Republican presidential candidate, and a fellow
Cuban-American lawmaker introduced legislation on Tuesday that would cut
back on some of the special
benefits given to immigrants from Cuba.
Rubio
introduced the bill in the Senate and has made his Cuban heritage a
theme of his campaign for his party’s nomination to run for the White
House in the November election.
But the Florida senator has also questioned the generous benefits given
to immigrants from the Communist-ruled island.
Republican Representative Carlos Curbelo, also of Florida, introduced the measure in the House of Representatives.
President
Barack Obama, a Democrat, and Cuban President Raul Castro announced in
December 2014 they would seek more normal relations. In July, diplomatic
ties were restored
after 54 years of enmity.
Rubio
and Curbelo are staunch opponents of the policy shift, saying Cuba’s
government must protect human rights for its citizens before benefiting
from closer U.S. ties.
Immigration
has been a dominant theme of the presidential campaign, with
Republicans in particular calling for strict controls on those who cross
U.S. borders.
Benefiting
from policies that originated during the Cold War to help those
escaping Communist rule, Cubans who reach U.S. soil are automatically
given federal benefits,
even if they travel back to Cuba. They are also allowed to remain in
the country even if they arrive illegally.
Rubio’s bill would end the automatic eligibility for federal aid given to Cuban nationals, except for those fleeing persecution.
“It
is particularly outrageous when individuals who claim to be fleeing
repression in Cuba are welcomed and allowed to collect federal
assistance based on their plight,
only to return often to the very place they claimed to be fleeing,”
Rubio said in a statement.
U.S.
officials have seen a sharp increase in immigration from Cuba in recent
months, as the island’s citizens worry that warming relations will end
their special status.
Thousands were stranded in Costa Rica in December as they tried to
reach the southern U.S. border.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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