Florida Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have expressed serious concerns regarding the Biden-Harris administration’s recent decision to expand nonimmigrant visas (NIV) for Cuban citizens.
In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the senators argued that this move poses significant national security risks and appears to benefit the communist Cuban regime rather than the United States.
The senators criticized the administration for what they see as attempts to appease the Cuban government rather than pressuring it to end human rights abuses and promote democracy. “We see no other reason for expanding NIVs to Cuban individuals and no justification for why doing so serves the interests of the United States,” they wrote.
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The letter highlighted concerns that the NIV expansion would primarily benefit Cuba’s ruling elite, who often enjoy privileges denied to the general population. The senators also expressed doubts about the U.S.’s ability to properly vet applicants from Cuba, given the regime’s lack of transparency, and warned that this could allow regime sympathizers or agents to enter the U.S. under the guise of NIVs.
The letter also noted previous concerns about the Biden administration easing restrictions on Cuban migration and lifting certain counterterrorism-related designations for Cuba. The senators argued that these actions, combined with the NIV expansion, are part of a pattern of concessions that benefit the Cuban regime.
The senators concluded by requesting clarification on how the expansion of NIVs serves U.S. interests and how the administration plans to prevent abuse of the program by individuals with ties to the Cuban government.
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