Rubio - Cuban Adjustment Act faced change 'one way or another'

Rubio: Cuban Adjustment Act faced change 'one way or another'
Patricia Mazzei, Miami Herald
Monday, January 16, 2017 8:52pm

"Wet foot/dry foot -- and the Cuban Adjustment Act in general -- was in
danger," Rubio told reporters in Miami. Obama's reestablishing of
diplomatic relations with Cuba undermined "the very essence and the
purpose of the law, its justification."

"There's been well-documented abuses of the program," added the Florida
Republican, who had filed legislation to tighten federal benefits for
recent Cuban arrivals. "In my view, the Cuban Adjustment Act was going
to be changed one way or another.

He even predicted there would be enough votes in Congress to repeal the
law altogether.

The Cuban Adjustment Act still stands, but Obama's actions Thursday
effectively gutted it, making it much more difficult for Cubans to
remain legally in the U.S. and qualify under the act's protections.

While he won't ask President-elect Donald Trump to bring back the
wet-foot/dry-foot policy, Rubio reiterated he'll push to reinstate the
Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program that gave refuse to Cuban
medical professionals forced to work abroad who defected to the U.S. In
a statement Thursday, Rubio said he spoke to Vice President-elect Mike
Pence about the issue.

Now that Cubans who arrive undocumented in the U.S. must request
political asylum to try to remain in the country, Rubio said he hoped
their asylum claims would be given a full hearing.

"I don't want to see stories about people who came that way," with
legitimate claims of oppression, he added, "and were sent back to Cuba."

[Last modified: Monday, January 16, 2017 9:02pm]

Source: Rubio: Cuban Adjustment Act faced change 'one way or another' |
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