We can start reuniting Cuban families immediately. It just needs an act of Congress
Iam devastated to see how constituents of mine — Central Americans, Venezuelans and Cubans — are separated from their families, unable to reunite because of the current administration’s policies.
Had those policies been in force at the time, I, too, could have been separated from my mother and sisters when we immigrated to this country in search of opportunities to better our lives. Families should never be used as political pawns to advance a political agenda. I am taking a strong stand against it by introducing the Cuban Family Reunification Act.
I’ve made my voice heard. I’ve demanded that migrant minors crossing the Southern border not be torn from their parents; I’ve insisted that our government grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelan migrants fleeing hardship in their home country. And, now, I am introducing a plan to address Cuban family separation that will unite my constituents with their loved ones less than 100 miles off our shore.
We know the right course of action. In fact, until two years ago, we addressed Cuban family separation in a systematic way. My proposal is simple: Restart the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program (CFRP).
In 2007, George W. Bush created CFRP to allow U.S. citizens and permanent residents to apply for their non-immediate family members to come to the United States. The program was wildly successful; every year leading up to 2017, around three quarters of Cuban immigrants admitted to this country came under CFRP to reunite with family here.
Despite its success, CFRP stopped in 2017 because of the drawdown of U.S. Embassy staff and the cessation of consular services in Havana. Officials told me and congressional colleagues that they were looking for a way to resolve the issue, possibly to process CFRP applications in another location. But two years on, there’s been no movement.
My constituents want legal pathways to the United States for loved ones on the island. Many of the Cubans, about 22,000, were conditionally approved for the program only to see the system derailed when their number came up.
The U.S. Embassy staff drawdown occurred in response to legitimate security concerns surrounding still-unexplained health incidents affecting U.S. Embassy personnel. However, it has been two years since CFRP was halted, and it’s time to act.
My bill ensures the safety of the American personnel in the Embassy in Havana while they work to reunite Cuban families. It is clear from my conversations with the Department of State that reinstatement not only would be possible but should occur immediately.
I urge my colleagues to take action to reunite Cuban families now. Passing the Cuban Family Reunification Act. is the right thing to do.