Democrats are proposing to revive the family reunification program from Cuba

Democrats in Congress want to re-establish a federal plan to allow Cuban families to reunite in the United States. The Immigration and Citizenship Service of that country confirms that the said plan is in place, but in practice it is not. The plan was suspended by the Trump administration after sound events in Havana affected US diplomats.

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Albio Cyrus of New Jersey submitted a bill Wednesday that would restart the Cuban family reunification parole program if approved. This way, Cuban-Americans can bring their relatives to the United States on special immortal visas or “parole” when they arrive.

The plan calls for the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to resume processing reconciliation applications. To that end, he proposes to appoint the necessary staff to the US Embassy in Havana. These officers will set aside at least one working day per week for the project.

The parole granted is valid for about two years. Thus, thanks to the Cuban Adjustment Act, immigrant Cubans will receive permanent residency.

Support for initiative

“As the daughter of a housemaid and the daughter of a security guard, I believe that sacrificing every day to ensure a better life for their children is nothing more important than family. I’m proud to strongly support the resumption of the Cuban family’s reunification parole program,” said Florida, co – sponsor of the bill. Said Wall Demings.

Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online.

Attempts have previously been made to re-establish a program of reunification for the Cuban people. In 2019, Democrats Debbie Mukherjee-Powell and Donna Shalala came up with a plan for this purpose, which aims to conduct interviews with visa applicants via video conference.

On the other hand, Florida Congressmen Maria Elvira Salazar, along with Carlos Kimines and Mario Diaz-Ballard, proposed to restart the program in 2021 with Murphy of the Democratic Party. According to their plan, face-to-face interviews will take place in the occupied territory. US at Guantanamo Bay base.

The Democrats’ latest initiative is an immediate indication of an increase in the number of embassy staff at the US Embassy in Havana. The goal is to eliminate the backlog that has accumulated over the years in the visa process.

According to published data The New Herald22,000 applications are pending for the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program.