Thread: Cubans Lash Out at Republicans

Cuban-Americans Lash Out at Republicans

Published: 1/11/06, 9:25 AM EDT

MIAMI (AP) - When 15 Cubans fleeing their homeland landed on an abandoned bridge in the Florida Keys, they inadvertently found themselves in an uncomfortable legal spotlight - one the Republican Party is sharing.

The plight of the immigrants - deported Monday back to Cuba - has reopened the bitter debate over the government's immigration policy and angered South Florida's heavily Republican Cuban exile community.

"This will have an effect of reducing the numbers of Cuban-American voters that would blindly follow a Republican candidate," Cuban American National Foundation President Pepe Hernandez said. "Cubans are going to realize that both parties come when they need us but tend to forget our pledges when they don't."

The migrants were returned after the government concluded that the partially collapsed bridge they landed on - which no longer connects to any of the Keys - did not count as dry land.

Under the current "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy, Cubans who reach U.S. soil are allowed to remain in the United States. Those stopped at sea are sent home.

Coming on the heels of more stringent deportation policies for Cuban migrants, and amid a wave of GOP calls for tighter immigration enforcement, some community leaders wondered whether the deportation will cost the party support among one of its staunchest bases.

"It was a total abuse, how all these Cubans were treated. They landed on our territory only so that we can send them back to hell," said Armando de Cristo, a city employee, 66, who fled Cuba 30 years ago.

Lawyers for relatives of the repatriated Cubans filed suit in U.S. District Court Tuesday, requesting a federal judge allow them to return to the United States and issue a legal definition of "U.S. territory" in connection with the wet-foot, dry-foot policy.

Florida Congressional representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart, all Cuban-American Republicans, urged the White House to support a review of the policy.

Republican Sen. Mel Martinez went a step further, calling for an overhaul of U.S.-Cuba immigration policy. "The policy is wrong and it ought to be changed," he said.

The issue has become more thorny for Republicans as the party grows increasingly split over immigration, said Damian Fernandez, head of Florida International University's Cuban Research Institute in Miami.

"I think that at some point, the dissonance between rhetoric and practice will have some sort of result, whether it's a reformulation of the policy or a political fallout - with people's allegiance to the Republican party eroded," Fernandez said.

In recent years, the wet-dry policy has become more stringent, and the number of Cubans attempting to immigrate has continued to rise, Fernandez said. More than 2,700 Cubans were stopped by the Coast Guard in 2005, more than twice the number stopped in 2004.

Republicans have enjoyed solid Cuban-American support as far back as the Kennedy administration, which many exiles blamed for the failure of the Bay of Pigs.

The forced removal of Elian Gonzalez brought Cuban voters to the polls in record numbers to vote for President Bush because they were unhappy with the Clinton-Gore administration's handling of the case.

Elian, now 11, set off a seven-month custody battle after he was rescued off the Florida coast in 1999. His mother died at sea, and his Miami relatives and Cuban exile groups fought to prevent his return to Cuba. He was reunited with his father in Cuba after an armed federal raid April 22, 2000, on his relatives' home.

Cuban-American activists said they hoped the latest incident will spark a review of the wet-foot, dry-foot rule, which was established in 1995 as a way to stem a massive wave of Haitians and Cuban immigrants, while still offering a safe harbor for Cubans who reached U.S. shores.

Hernandez said local Cuban-American leaders are trying to work with Washington to revise the policy rather than revert to the protests that became a staple of the Elian crisis.

"Instead of simply screaming about how unjust this is, we should try to impose a solution," Hernandez said.

As he watched friends play dominos in Little Havana on Tuesday, Alberto Cuervo, 57, said he was angered at the government but admitted the latest incident was unlikely to affect the community's vote.

"We tend to forget very quickly," he said.




http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.d ... blsadstrgt

Why can't we deport the cuban exiles? They don't belong here either.

RR

QUOTE:
Florida Congressional representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart, all Cuban-American Republicans, urged the White House to support a review of the policy.

Republican Sen. Mel Martinez went a step further, calling for an overhaul of U.S.-Cuba immigration policy. "The policy is wrong and it ought to be changed," he said.

Look at the names of these politicians. Do THEY have the best interest of the United States of America in mind......or would you say they have a "Special Interest" in certain people

Has the United States of America not already given the Cuban people what was once one of the American people's favorite places to live and enjoy.....Miami, Florida? Has the United States of America not already pretty well given milllions of illegal immigrants the ENTIRE state of FLorida??

Why do you think so many illegal immigrants FLOCKED to FLorida.....because the Cuban immigrants turned it into a place where Spanish is the language and the culture has also been re-defined to suit those who do not share a desire to assimilate to America.

Too bad. The Republicans are now being FORCED to make a decision.
They're either going to be all thrown out of office and not have a chance in heck to win the 2006 and 2008 elections or they're going to get a grip on their wreckless handling of immigration and remain a viable party for the American people.

As you can see, plainly and clearly, the politicians listed above (please note all from Florida) could give a damn about you, Mr. America.

To them, you owe your country to them. Even though you let them in with the belief and hope that they would assimilate to the country which opened it's arms to them and gave up a valuable and beautiful part of America for them......THAT I S NOT ENOUGH.

THEY WANT MORE
Well, guess what? There isn't more to give.

See how easy it is for them to take over. They can basically do state by state. Florida is just the first.

Come to Eastern New Jersey as an American born here I'm now the minority. Its absolutely scarey!!!


WAKE UP AMERICA BEFORE ITS TOO LATE

There are some WONDERUL people in America who are of Cuban decent !!

HOWEVER, there are also some really bad people who came from Cuba, and by God they weren't and aren't about to learn English or assimilate.

Most of these hard-nosed culture sucking types are the older generation.
They taught their children to snub their noses at America, but many of the younger ones said, "No". Unfortunately though a significant number of them followed their Grandpa's anti-American stand.

I've met SO MANY of the older ones, they've been here for 25-40 years, and they disrespect the American people to the point they will purposely not speak a word of English to you.

These are the people who in the long run are bringing about the enforcement of our immigration laws. These were the foolish ones.

tsk, tsk, Grandpa. I guess you weren't as smart as you thought, were you? Keep Miami. It's too late. The damage is done.

But don't think you're going to hijack the entire Republican Party. By the way, keep your politicians too. The American people won't have them because they do not represent the United States of America.

Originally Posted by RoadRunner

Why can't we deport the cuban exiles? They don't belong here either.

RR

Exactly. The feet touch the sand rule is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. So now you have Cubans killing themselves to try and enter our country. It's half baked immigration policies like this that makes me blood boil. How about even if your feet touch the sand, your still illegal and you will still be sent home. Cubans have no right to be in our country illegally anymore than the Mexicans do. All they've done is bring their problems here and turned South Florida into a third world nation. Kick them out. Who gives a hoot if their country is a hellhole? Go back to Cuba and start a revolution and start your country over. STOP BRINGING YOUR PROBLEMS HERE AND MAKING US PAY FOR YOUR CRAP. We as a country have got to stop being a dumping ground for every third world nation out there. I'm sick of this. We don't need any more compassion, we need to dish out some tough love.

Originally Posted by dman1200

Originally Posted by RoadRunner

Why can't we deport the cuban exiles? They don't belong here either.

RR

Exactly. The feet touch the sand rule is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. So now you have Cubans killing themselves to try and enter our country. It's half baked immigration policies like this that makes me blood boil. How about even if your feet touch the sand, your still illegal and you will still be sent home. Cubans have no right to be in our country illegally anymore than the Mexicans do. All they've done is bring their problems here and turned South Florida into a third world nation. Kick them out. Who gives a hoot if their country is a hellhole? Go back to Cuba and start a revolution and start your country over. STOP BRINGING YOUR PROBLEMS HERE AND MAKING US PAY FOR YOUR CRAP. We as a country have got to stop being a dumping ground for every third world nation out there. I'm sick of this. We don't need any more compassion, we need to dish out some tough love.

DITTO

In 1973 when returning from Spain our plane picked up an entire plane load of Cubans...it was called a 'Freedom Flight'. We landed in Miami.

While we were aboard that flight I wondered what it was they wanted freedom from. The women were wearing huge investment type diamonds..their clothes were much more expensive than mine and my husbands...They wore the finest leather shoes, carried expensive designer handbags....I was stunned. THESE were the people who needed asylum in OUR country?

When we landed in Miami there was a huge crowd of already-established Cubans yelling and screaming and running around hugging each other. These also showed no signs of financial need.

I wore a very nice set of diamond weddiing rings. The customs agent who searched my luggage nodded his head at my rings and stated 'This isn't America anymore. You'd best take care wearing such expensive jewelry, someone will rob you." I told him I'd worn these rings for years everywhere I went and would continue to wear them. He shook his head sadly and said, "There are some very bad people in Miami now."

Welcome home!!

I do not believe that these people should BE in our country. There is NO real reason to offer them asylum or anything else..much less 'feet touch the sand' . For God's Sake!!

RR