Wet Foot, Dry Foot Policy

The outgoing Obama Government has recently ended the Wet foot, dry foot policy established long ago in United States by the previous Presidents. The policy was adopted for the Cuban migrants seeing their influx into the country in huge numbers.

Meaning of Wet Foot, Dry Foot Policy

The wet foot, dry foot policy is the consequence of the 1995 revision of the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, which states that anyone who fled away from Cuba and entered the United States will be allowed to get residency a year later. After talks with the Cuban government, the government of President Bill Clinton came to an agreement with Cuba that it would stop admitting people in U.S. waters. Since then, it came to be known as the “Wet foot, Dry foot” policy, because if a Cuban was caught on the waters between the two nations (with “wet feet”) shall be sent home or to a third country and the one who makes it to shore (“dry feet”) will get a chance to stay back in the United States, and later will qualify for expedited ‘legal permanent residence’ status and gradually will pursue U.S. citizenship. The policy encouraged Cubans to risk their lives to seek freedom and enter the US without a visa to become permanent residents.

More on Historical Background

The Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966 was introduced when Batista was overthrown in 1959 and he and his officials fled to the United States, and other Cubans soon followed. Till 1966 many of the thousands of refugees were living in a legal limbo because they expected to return to Cuba. When it became clear this was not going to happen, President Johnson pushed forward congress a law that would allow any Cuban who lived in the country for a year and a day could apply for permanent residency (green card). This allowed several hundred thousand Cubans to immediately receive a green card because they had already been living there for years, and it allowed any Cubans coming thereafter to have equal right, and it did not matter if they came legally or not. The law became a part of Cold War battle of U.S. against Cuba. The rationale was citizens were being oppressed in Cuba, and could come here as refugees. Until 1994 any Cubans who were picked up at sea were brought to U.S. and were allowed to stay here even though they were illegal immigrants.

Questions & Answers for Analysis

This topic should be understood in the light of below questions:

• What were the major implications of this policy, particularly for Cuban population?
• Examine the recent changes made in this policy.

What were the major implications of this policy, particularly for Cuban population?

The implications of this policy on Cuban population can be divided into three different parts viz. change in immigration patterns, the so called “dusty foot”, and protects from Cuban government.

Change in Immigration patterns: The policy has resulted in changes in the immigration patterns since the late 1980s. Many Cuban immigrants left the southern and western coasts of Cuba and arrived at Mexico, some immigrants landed on Isla Mujeres. From there these Cuban immigrants travelled to the Texas-Mexico border and found asylum. Many Cubans who did not have family in Miami settled at Houston. Other migrants arrived at the U.S. crossing the Mona Channel that separates the Dominican Republic from Puerto Rico. Using smugglers who stay in the Dominican Republic, migrants made hazardous journey using rickety fishing boats which were commonly called “yolas” and set foot on Isla de Mona, which is a small uninhabited island and also a part of Puerto Rico. Once they reach the island, U.S. Coast Guard patrolling boats picked up the migrants and transfer them to Aguadilla where they are further processed by U.S. immigration.

Dusty Foot: The term “dusty foot” then came up and it referred to the Cubans immigrating to the U.S. through Mexico. It allowed any Cuban nation who reached U.S. soil to enter the country legally based on humanitarian ground. Each new Cuban immigrant is a potential voter added, after citizenship, to the already extremely powerful Cuban lobby and political and economic machine.

Protest from Cuban Government: In 1994-95, Clinton and Castro, to stop the large number of Cuban immigrants coming to the U.S. illegally, signed a deal which will allow 20,000 Cubans per year to emigrate to the U.S., but those who were picked up at sea will be returned to Cuba or a third country (this group is designated as wet feet); those getting to land anywhere in the U.S are called “dry feet” and cannot be deported. The Cuban government, opposed the dry feet policy, and believes it as a violation of the agreements. Thus, rather than stopping the flow of Cubans to the U.S. as it was designed for, it rather slowed down the number of illegals entering, or attempting to enter, the U.S., by sea and increased the numbers coming through Mexico: these are called “dusty feet”.

Examine the recent changes made in this policy.

On January 12, 2017, the outgoing President Barack Obama announced the abrupt end of this wet feet, dry feet policy to the longstanding policy, by which the US have sent back the Cubans intercepted at sea but at the same time allowed those who reached land to stay. Obama stated in a statement that Cuban nationals who will attempt to enter the United States illegally and qualify for humanitarian relief will be subject to removal in accordance with the U.S. law and enforcement priorities. Now, the US will treat Cuban migrants the same way the way they treat migrants from other countries. The Cuban government agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals. With beginning of the United States–Cuban Thaw in 2014,the US and Cuba put in several efforts to restore the normal relations including change in trade embargo to reopening direct flights between both the countries. The policy began to come under scrutiny and Cuba responded by rushing to the US in huge numbers. Anticipation of the end of the policy gave rise to increase in the numbers of Cuban immigrants.

The Department of Homeland Security eliminated the policy for Cuban medical professionals, which is known as the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program. Florida, the county which boasted about a large Cuban-American population, was disappointed by the decision to end the medical parole program. The duties of the doctors who were previously protected by this program will now continue to be mandated by the Cuban dictatorship. These doctors have been used as instruments of the regime till now, the elimination of the program will generate negative impact to their ability to practice medicine freely.