The winner Y Freedom These are the names of two precarious boats in which 35 Cubans arrived at Marathon Key, in the US, between Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The passengers of The winnerthree women and 16 men who made landfall this Thursday, were taken into federal custody, and “will be processed for removal procedures,” according to Walter Slosar, chief of the Border Patrol, through his Twitter account.
These 19 rafters have the option of applying for asylum, which involves proving to an official or judge that they are afraid to return to their country. If the Cubans convince the relevant authorities, they are “given a bond and can request asylum,” explained Willy Allen, Immigration Attorney.
The judicial process of the 16 passengers who arrived in the boat Freedom It will be different, because they were arrested after a “maritime smuggling” operation. Agent Slosar indicated that along with these people “an alleged smuggler” was arrested, for which an investigation was launched.
In the event that it is proven that the Cubans were victims of human trafficking, the alternatives, according to what lawyer Miguel Díaz has pointed out to the Miami television network Telemundo 51, are focused on applying for the D visa or the U visa, at the that victims of crimes can appeal, provided that the authorities consider the request valid. Those who benefit from this type of visa are granted a residence permit for four years and authorization to work in the US.
In recent weeks, the departure of boats from the Island has skyrocketed. According to the records published by official Slosar, in the month of August alone, 143 Cuban rafters who managed to reach Florida beaches in 14 boats have been detained. fishing boats and rafts.
The judicial process of the 16 passengers who arrived on the boat ‘Libertad’ will be different, since they were arrested after a “maritime smuggling” operation
A week ago, Adam Linhardt, spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, foresaw the arrival of more rafters, especially from the Island, which is going through an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, rising prices of basic products and a notable increase in of police repression.
In an attempt to mitigate this exodus, Erik Villa Rodríguez, noncommissioned officer of the US Coast Guard, warned that “rafters who are intercepted will be repatriated to their country of origin,” in addition to recalling the dangers of migrating in rudimentary boats.
Data from that border body indicates that since October 1, 2021, 3,739 Cubans have been intercepted.
The migratory crisis that the Island is experiencing is also taking place on land. According to data from the US Department of Customs and Border Protection, from the beginning of the fiscal year, on October 1, 2021, until mid-June 2022, a total of 140,602 Cubansa figure that already exceeds the Mariel exodus of 1980, when 125,000 people reached US soil in seven months.
#Alert: 19 Cuban migrants were taken into US Border Patrol custody this morning after arriving to Marathon, FL on a homemade boat. There are 16 adult males & 3 adult females in the group. The migrants will be processed for removal proceedings. #thursday #cbp #Florida pic.twitter.com/G2PTwf5IcD
— Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar (@USBPChiefMIP) August 11, 2022
In recent days, Bill Melugin, a journalist for the Fox News network, has testified that groups of 300 to 200 migrants entered the US through Eagle Pass, including several Cubans. This Friday he met four natives of the Island who were looking for Border Patrol agents to turn themselves in and request asylum.
Rafael Mendoza Ramos, a Cuban originally from Mayabeque, is in the Casa del Migrante, located in Ciudad Juárez, trying to cross the border through the border state of Chihuahua. As he reported to 14ymedio via WhatsApp, he has been traveling for four months and one waiting at the border. “If I don’t resolve it, this week I’m going to Acuña, where groups are passing through the Rio Grande.” In that area, as they have let him know, “they are giving assistance” to the migrants.
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