Cubans fight deportation

A group of 11 Cuban immigrants being detained in South Texas are fighting deportation after alleging they were wrongly turned away while trying to enter the United States just before a long-standing immigration policy that allowed any Cuban who made it to US soil to stay and become a legal resident was rescinded.

Jorge Rivera, an attorney for the immigrants, said some tried to enter the US from Mexico through the port of entry in Laredo under the so-called “wet foot, dry foot” policy on Jan. 11 and were told to return the next day. Others tried to enter on Jan. 12 and were given appointments for later that day.

The “wet foot, dry foot” policy sent back Cubans intercepted at sea but gave those who reached land an automatic path to legal residency.

On the afternoon of Jan. 12, President Barack Obama announced the end to the policy as a part of normalizing ties between the US and Cuba.

Detained, 11 Cuban immigrants fight against deportation, saying they they entered US before end of immigration policy.