Biden Sends Back 27 Cuban Rafters amid Deadly Communist Oppression
Biden Sends Back 27 Cuban Rafters amid Deadly Communist Oppression
by FRANCES MARTEL 28 Jul 2021
The U.S. Coast Guard announced the return of 27 Cuban refugees to the communist country on Tuesday, caught attempting to navigate to Florida on two separate vessels.
The slightly over two dozen people are believed to be the first large group of balseros, or rafters, caught attempting to enter the United States in this manner since the July 11 protests. On that day, thousands of Cubans marched in the streets of dozens of municipalities nationwide and every major city on the island, demanding an end to 62 years of communist rule. The protests triggered a wave of state-sponsored violence including public beatings, police opening fire on unarmed civilians, and the imprisonment and threatening of minors.
The Coast Guard did not provide the identity of those repatriated, but Cubans with known anti-communist sentiments can face legal repercussions for attempting to leave the country without Communist Party permission. Cubans with higher education, especially doctors trapped in the nation’s healthcare slavery system, may also face severe criminal liability if returned home. Cuba has regularly denied high-profile independent journalists and activists permission to travel abroad.
In a statement, the Coast Guard confirmed that it had intercepted “a 21-foot vessel with 22 people aboard” on Friday and since repatriated those on board. On Saturday, Coast Guard officials identified a “makeshift raft with five people aboard,” both vessels nearing Key West, Florida. All individuals repatriated were reported “in good health.”
The administration of President Joe Biden has taken a stern tone against Cuban refugees seeking to enter Florida and anyone seeking to help them.
“The time is never right to attempt migration by sea. To those who risk their lives doing so, this risk is not worth taking,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas warned shortly after the July 11 anti-communist protests. “Allow me to be clear: If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States.”
The Coast Guard has also turned its warnings against American citizens who may encounter Cubans on the high seas, warning that anyone helping a Cuban refugee would “violate U.S. immigration laws” and could face up to five years in prison.
“Vessels and persons illegally entering Cuban territorial waters … without the required permit may be subject to seizure of their vessel, civil and criminal penalties up to $25,000 per day, and 10 years in prison,” the Coast Guard asserted in a statement following the organization of a support flotilla to the Straits of Florida by Cuban-Americans. “People who violate U.S. immigration laws and illegally bring foreign nationals into the country or who attempt to do so may be subject to arrest, vessel forfeiture, civil and criminal fines up to $250,000 per day, and five years in prison.”
The Biden policy is an extension of the strict anti-Cuban refugee policies imposed by President Barack Obama after his visit with Cuban dictator Raúl Castro in 2016. Obama repealed the longstanding “wet foot/dry foot” policy that allowed Cubans to remain in the United States legally if making landfall here. Prior to that, stricter Coast Guard surveillance led to a trend of refugees packing bleach on their trips to Florida and immediately drinking it if spotted by the Coast Guard — forcing officials to rapidly bring them to medical facilities, where they could claim “dry foot” status.
The Obama years — largely due to an emboldened Castro regime as a result of concessions Washington made to Castro at the time — ended with some of the largest numbers of Cuban refugees intercepted in the Straits of Florida in recent memory. According to the Coast Guard’s statement on the migrants repatriated this week, the agency interdicted 5,396 Cubans in the 2016 fiscal year. In fiscal year 2020, the last of President Donald Trump’s term, that number was 49.
The strict policies towards maritime refugees in the Biden era contrasts significantly with statistics from America’s southern land border. The Biden administration welcomed over 600,000 migrants to the United States through the southern border between Biden’s inauguration and last week, not counting migrants passing illegally and thus undocumented in statistics. The increase was particularly stark in migrants not from Mexico or the Central American “northern triangle” — according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the number of people not from those regions caught attempting to cross the border illegally grew by a factor of ten between January and June 2021.
Local journalists in southern border states have documented people walking into the country, taking Border Patrol buses to government facilities.
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...zhc_bigger.jpg
Bill Melugin
@BillFOXLA
More groups of migrants walking through the border fence here in Del Rio where they are loaded into waiting border patrol buses. Most of these men are from Haiti. Border Patrol has several buses and vans here to deal with this massive group that started out 350+ in size @FoxNews
https://twitter.com/i/status/1419355931234684931
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1:56 PM · Jul 25, 2021
“We are seeing a crush on the southern border that’s a rotating catastrophe. It continues to escalate on a daily basis, and it was all caused by the rhetoric of Biden during the campaign and the actions he took in the first days of his administration,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) noted in an interview this week.
“They didn’t say what they said to Cubans in those first days. What they said is no border wall, and children and families will not be separated … we are incentivizing.”
https://www.breitbart.com/latin-amer...st-oppression/
Biden Admin Takes Action Against Cuban Refugees In 21-Foot Vessel Trying To Flee The
Biden Admin Takes Action Against Cuban Refugees In 21-Foot Vessel Trying To Flee The Communist Hellhole — But All the Other Fake Refugees Are Welcome
By The Scoop
Published July 29, 2021 at 8:25pm
The Biden administration this week announced the repatriation of more than two dozen Cuban refugees fleeing their country’s oppressive communist regime after they were caught attempting to navigate Florida waters.
The 27 Cuban refugees were ordered to return even as waves of migrants from other parts of the world continue to enter through the country’s southern border and tens of thousands of them released into US communities without court dates.
The little more than two dozen people are thought to be the first major group of rafters to be arrested while attempting to enter the US in this manner since the July 11 protests broke out in Cuba.
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Dinesh D'Souza
@DineshDSouza
So Biden send back legitimate victims of political persecution while letting in droves of Covid-infected illegals at the southern border Biden Sends Back 27 Cuban Rafters amid Deadly Communist Oppression
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Biden Sends Back 27 Cuban Rafters amid Deadly Communist Oppression
The U.S. Coast Guard announced the return of 27 Cuban refugees to the communist country on Tuesday, caught attempting to navigate to Florida.
breitbart.com
8:35 AM · Jul 29, 2021
Thousands of Cubans marched in the streets of dozens of towns around the country, as well as every major city on the island, that day, demanding an end to the island’s 62-year-long communist dictatorship.
The demonstrations were triggered by a wave of violence reportedly sponsored by the state, including law enforcement opening fire on civilians, as well as public beatings. There were also reports of imprisonment and threats to those joining the protests.
The US Coast Guard did not provide the identity of those sent back to Cuba — but danger awaits those known for having anti-communist sentiments. They could also face legal consequences for attempting to leave the country without the approval of the Communist Party.
“[The US Coast Guard 7th District Southeast reported that crews had] repatriated 27 Cubans to Cuba … following two interdictions off Florida’s coast,” American authorities said in a news release.
The Coast Guard also confirmed that it had intercepted “a 21-foot vessel with 22 people aboard” on Friday and since returned those on board. Coast Guard officials on Saturday also identified a “makeshift raft with five people aboard,” both vessels were sighted nearing Key West in Florida.
All the Cubans intercepted were said to be “in good health” and they were eventually brought aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton for processing and return to Cuba.
“Taking to the seas on unsafe vessels is dangerous and can result in loss of life,” Capt. Adam Chamie, Coast Guard Sector Key West Commander, said. “We request all mariners to report any possible migrant voyages to help prevent loss of life at sea.”
The Coast Guard’s statement echoed the stern tone of the Biden administration against Cuban refugees seeking to enter Florida — and those willing to help them.
“The time is never right to attempt migration by sea. To those who risk their lives doing so, this risk is not worth taking,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said after the pro-democracy protests sparked Cubans to try to flee the island.
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The Baffler
@thebafflermag
In response to unrest in the Caribbean, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas—himself a Cuban refugee—has said of asylum seekers from Haiti and Cuba, “They will not enter the United States.”
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No Exit | Felipe De La Hoz
In the 1990s, the U.S. turned back Haitian refugees even as it condemned the country’s military junta. The pattern is repeating itself today.
thebaffler.com
8:54 AM · Jul 24, 2021
“Allow me to be clear: If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States.”
“If individuals make, establish a well-founded fear of persecution or torture, they are referred to third countries for resettlement,” Mayorkas added, reiterating that “they will not enter the United States.”
The Coast Guard has also earlier warned Americans that anyone helping a Cuban refugee would “violate US immigration laws” and could face up to five years of jail time.
“Vessels and persons illegally entering Cuban territorial waters … without the required permit may be subject to seizure of their vessel, civil and criminal penalties up to $25,000 per day, and 10 years in prison,” the Coast Guard has said.
“People who violate US immigration laws and illegally bring foreign nationals into the country or who attempt to do so may be subject to arrest, vessel forfeiture, civil and criminal fines up to $250,000 per day, and five years in prison,” it added.
Lax policies in the US-Mexico border
The Coast Guard interdicted 5,396 Cubans in the 2016 fiscal year.. That number was 49 in fiscal year 2020, the final year of President Donald Trump’s presidency.
In contrast to the Biden administration’s strict policies towards Cuban refugees coming into the country through sea, the Democrat-led government has allowed thousands of migrants to enter the US-Mexico border.
Under President Joe Biden, America reportedly welcomed over half a million migrants to the US through the country’s southern border — excluding those passing illegally.
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...zhc_bigger.jpg
Bill Melugin
@BillFOXLA
More groups of migrants walking through the border fence here in Del Rio where they are loaded into waiting border patrol buses. Most of these men are from Haiti. Border Patrol has several buses and vans here to deal with this massive group that started out 350+ in size @FoxNews
https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_t...CgSLFq79oa.jpg
1:56 PM · Jul 25, 2021
“We are seeing a crush on the southern border that’s a rotating catastrophe. It continues to escalate on a daily basis, and it was all caused by the rhetoric of Biden during the campaign and the actions he took in the first days of his administration,” Republican Senator Marco Rubio (Florida) — who is a Cuban-American — said this week.
“They didn’t say what they said to Cubans in those first days. What they said is no border wall, and children and families will not be separated … we are incentivizing.”
Biden offers “support” to Cubans
The GOP earlier hit the Biden administration for blocking the entry of Cuban refugees — saying they will only allow those that will vote Democrat and not Republican.
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Nicholas A Ballasy
@NicholasBallasy
Senator @TedCruz says Biden's DHS is blocking Cuban refugees from entering U.S. because they 'tend to vote Republican.' My interview available to watch here: https://justthenews.com/government/congress/cruz-dhs-blocking-cuban-migrants-entering-us-sea-because-they-tend-vote?utm_medium=social_media&utm_source=twitter_so cial_icon&utm_campaign=social_icons…#news#politics#Cuba
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Cruz: DHS blocking Cuban refugees from entering U.S. because they 'tend to vote Republican'
The Biden administration is "being utterly shameless," Cruz said. "We're on a path to have over 2 million people crossing our southern border illegally this year."
justthenews.com
1:47 PM · Jul 29, 2021
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ACTforAmerica
@ACTforAmerica
DHS is BLOCKING Cuban Refugees from entering the US because they tend to vote Republican!
12:06 PM · Jul 29, 2021
President Biden issued his support for the Cuban people last week, but critics slammed him for not letting them in.
“I condemn the mass detentions and sham trials that are the Cuban regime’s efforts to threaten the Cuban people into silence. My Administration stands with the Cuban people, and is imposing new sanctions targeting those in the Cuban regime responsible for this crackdown,” Biden said.
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Jen Monroe
@jenniferm_q
How about letting Cuban refugees into the US? That would be much more helpful
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President Biden
@POTUS
I condemn the mass detentions and sham trials that are the Cuban regime's efforts to threaten the Cuban people into silence. My Administration stands with the Cuban people, and is imposing new sanctions targeting those in the Cuban regime responsible for this crackdown.
2:50 PM · Jul 22, 2021
“How about letting Cuban refugees into the US?,” one comment said. “That would be much more helpful.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/07/biden-admin-takes-action-cuban-refugees-21-foot-vessel-trying-flee-communist-regime/
