SEIU Response to President Obama Ending the “Wet Foot, Dry Foot” Policy for Cubans, While Letting TPS Expire for Haitian Immigrants
MIAMI – On Thursday, January 12th, the Obama administration announced the end of the “wet foot, dry foot” policy that allows Cubans who reach the U.S. to become legal residents.
This comes amidst the backdrop of urgent calls from Haitian immigrants for the President to re-designate and expand Temporary Protected Status before it expires on July 22.
SEIU Florida has released the following statement in response from Hector Figueroa, president of 32BJ SEIU:
“Cubans and Haitians are an integral part of our communities and have positively impacted the economic, political, and cultural landscape of South Florida. As a community of immigrants, which includes Cubans, Haitians, and dozens of other nationalities, we are particularly vulnerable to an incoming administration that is hostile to immigrants and explicitly xenophobic. President Obama should be doing everything he can to protect these populations instead of removing one of the few actual protections this community enjoys, such as the “wet foot, dry foot” policy. In addition, we call on President Obama to broaden and expand Temporary Protected Status to people from Haiti, a country that just recently suffered a catastrophic, category 4 hurricane, with no further delay. With only one week left in his presidency, Obama must not leave South Florida residents, their families, and their communities unprotected from the oncoming assault by Republicans. We hope our President and his administration will leave office on a note of unity and solidarity, as opposed to one of fear and division.”
