U.S. blockade against Cuba stokes up irregular migration, says expert

Havana, Jan 9 (Prensa Latina) Cuban immigration expert attorney José Pertierra considered that the U.S. government could stop the irregular migration flow from Cuba to that country, if it eliminates hostile economic policy towards Cuba.

According to the Pertierra, the major reason for Cuba-to-USA migration flow is the present severe situation caused by the U.S. blockade against Cuba, so that measures including granting limited number of parole and trying to block the US-Mexico border are not enough to stop it.

Illegal migration of Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans has skyrocketed. It is no coincidence they come from nations Washington has been trying to stifle economically, Pertierra stated.

I have no doubt that, as Cuba’s economic plight takes off, illegal migration will scale down enormously. We´ve seen it before, he said.

In an interview with Temas magazine, Pertierra talked about the new regulation, published on January 9 in the Official Gazette, the Joe Biden administration seeks to quickly deport more Cubans detained at the Mexican border trying to enter illegally the United States.

Pertierra stressed the White House is currently preparing another regulation that would disqualify for asylum any person who, en route to the United States, has passed through a third country and has not called for asylum there.

In other words -he said- they want to close the border to Cubans who try to cross irregularly, something his predecessor Donald Trump tried during his administration and was blocked by federal courts.

U.S. authorities remain in practice the validity of the Cuban Adjustment Act, which has a discretionary nature.

If the Joe Biden administration decides that the Adjustment Act is not convenient, let’s say for national security reasons or to control more efficiently the migratory flow of Cubans, the Executive has the legal power to close that way to reach a residency status.