Senator Marco Rubio Questions Cuban Refugees Traveling to Cuba
US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) raised concerns about the situation of Cubans who are welcomed as refugees in the United States and then travel to Cuba, a country from which they supposedly fled political persecution.
During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Wednesday, November 8, Rubio questioned the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alexander Mayorkas, about this issue. The senator expressed his disbelief at the fact that Cuban refugees are able to travel to Cuba multiple times within a year of receiving refugee status in the US.
Rubio stated that if individuals are fleeing political persecution, it is contradictory for them to be able to travel back to the country from which they supposedly fled. He pointed out the benefits and privileges enjoyed by Cuban refugees, including eligibility for refugee cash, food stamps, and Medicaid, as well as the ability to apply for a green card after a year and travel back to Cuba as many times as they want.
The senator called into question the validity of their refugee status if they are able to freely travel to Cuba within such a short period of time. He demanded to know why these individuals should not at least lose their refugee status if they are able to travel back to Cuba multiple times.
Mayorkas was left without a response to Rubio’s question, promising to study the matter and provide a response based on legal arguments surrounding the issue.
This is not the first time Rubio has been vocal about issues related to Cuba. In mid-October, he called for the expulsion of foreigners who support the terrorist group Hamas from the United States. He also expressed embarrassment at the presence of Cuba as a member state of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The senator’s questioning of the situation faced by Cuban refugees highlights a complex and contentious issue within the broader debate on immigration and refugee status in the United States. Rubio’s stance reflects ongoing concerns about potential abuses of refugee status and privileges by individuals from certain countries, such as Cuba.