25 Cuban migrants come ashore in the Keys

25 Cuban migrants come ashore in the Keys

Three separate landings from Key Largo to Middle Keys
Migration flow shows no sign of slowing
Group arriving at Ocean Reef said they were at sea for six days
BY DAVID GOODHUE
dgoodhue@keysreporter.com

In less than two days, 25 Cuban migrants arrived in the Keys in three
separate landings.

On Sunday, 13 men arrived in Key Largo on a "single-engine rustic
vessel," said Supervisory U.S. Border Patrol Agent Adam Hoffner. The men
told Border Patrol agents they spent four days at sea.

On Monday morning, around 5 a.m., nine Cuban men arrived at the Ocean
Reef Club community in north Key Largo, also in a single-engine rustic
craft. They told Border Patrol agents that their journey from Cuba took
six days.

Around 10 a.m. Monday, three men came to shore at the Middle Keys
community of Key Colony Beach.

Since all the migrants made it to dry land, they will likely be allowed
to stay in the United States and apply for permanent residency after a year.

U.S. policy toward Cuba considers all arriving migrants refugees. Under
the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" change made in 1995 to the Cuban
Adjustment Act, all Cubans leaving their homeland who are stopped at sea
are sent back. All who step foot on U.S. soil can stay.

The number of Cubans fleeing their country has spiked recently following
thawing diplomatic ties last year between the Obama administration and
the Castro regime. Many Cubans fear that with strengthening relations
between the neighboring countries, the logic at the root of wet-foot,
dry-foot no longer applies and the policy may soon end.

David Goodhue: 305-440-3204

Source: 25 Cuban migrants come ashore in the Keys | In Cuba Today -
http://www.incubatoday.com/news/article90285797.html