US Policy Throughout History

The United States’ policy overseeing Cuban migration has evolved over the past 70 years. 

• Between the early 1930s and 2019, there were an estimated 1.4 million Cuban migrants in the US. 
• Following strained US-Cuban relations, the US enacted the Cuban Adjustment Act in 1966, which allowed Cubans who had resided in the US for at least a year to apply to become lawful and permanent residents. It was a fast track to permanent residency for many Cuban immigrants. The Cuban Adjustment Act came into effect after the 1959 Cuban Revolution which resulted in 1.4 million Cubans fleeing to the United States. 
• In 1994 the US agreed to admit 20,000 Cubans annually. Prior to receiving permanent status in the US, Cuban immigrants were considered refugees and were counted as such within the overarching immigration system. However, this number did not include the family members of the admittees. Family members (spouses of a Cuban native or unmarried child under the age of 21) were allowed to apply for a green card under the CAA. Therefore, a total of 20,000 households are admitted into the US each year. 
• In 2007, the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program (CFRP) began allowing family members of US citizens to travel to the US without having to wait for immigration visas. Once these migrants were physically present in the US, they were able to apply for work permits. This step allowed for the reunification of families and allowed for a more streamlined process of migration.

Why Cubans are Migrating

Historically, mass migration from Cuba to the United States has been in response to economic and political struggles that are present within Cuba. There has been a steady flow of migration since the 1959 Cuban Revolution. The largest migration waves coincide with economic crises, and many fled in the 1960’s when the Cuban government closed nearly 55,000 small businesses as part of the socialist economic transformation. Cuba’s economy is currently struggling due to combined issues from the Covid-19 pandemic, the US trade embargo, and domestic issues such as inflation, corruption, and shortfalls in domestic food production. In 2014, the Obama Administration lifted sanctions on Cuba allowing for more economic freedom.

Trump and Biden Administrations: What has Changed?

The Trump Administration reversed many of Obama’s efforts to improve bilateral relations with Cuba, and enacted new sanctions in 2017 which prohibited commerce with businesses controlled by or operating on behalf of the Cuban military, intelligence agencies, and security services, as well as limited travel and trade between the two countries. These policies took aim at revenue from travel, tourism, and remittances. In 2017 the US suspended visa processing and Cuba halted consular services in response.

The Biden Administration sought to improve relations with Cuba. In 2022, the two countries held migration talks for the first time in four years, and visa processing has resumed as of May of 2022. The Biden Administration is seeking to stop the surge of Cuban migrants at the US-Mexico. In May of 2022, the Biden Administration announced the resumption of the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program (CFRP). This will allow Cuban residents in the US to apply for parole for their family members. 47% of Americans support restaffing the US embassy and issuing visas while 22-24% of Americans oppose these steps; 24-31% of Americans have no opinions on these issues. 

The State of Migration Today

Migration from Cuba to the US consists mostly of people between the ages of 20 and 40 and a majority are women. Many Cubans attempt to enter the US through the US-Mexico border, and Cubans are among the top nationalities waiting at the US-Mexico border for entry into the US. Cubans travel from Cuba to Nicaragua and from there, make their journey to the US-Mexico border in hopes to cross into the US. Nicaragua is a popular starting point for migrants as Nicargua has eliminated visa requirements for Cubans. The US government is already struggling to process many migrants from Latin America. Many Cubans apply for political asylum, and there is currently a 54 month backlog for asylum hearings. The Biden Administration hopes to eventually lift remittance restrictions which would benefit Cuba’s economy and the families of migrants.