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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Homeless Cuban migrants to be held at Camillus House until processed

Homeless Cuban migrants to be held at Camillus House until processed
11 men, 1 woman entered U.S. at Mexican border last month
Author: Carlos Suarez, Reporter, csuarez@local10.com
Amanda Batchelor, Senior Digital Editor, abatchelor@local10.com
Published On: Jul 14 2015 02:28:30 PM EDT Updated On: Jul 14 2015
06:49:52 PM EDT

MIAMI -
A group of 12 Cuban migrants who crossed from Mexico into the U.S. late
last month will call Camillus House home until they are processed by
immigration officials.

The 11 men and one woman, who fled Cuba years ago and have been living
in Ecuador, have no family or friends in South Florida and have been
living in a parking lot in Doral for the past few days.

Because they didn't enter the U.S. by sea via the wet-foot/dry-foot
policy, they must file the necessary immigration paperwork themselves
and set up an appointment, which they have scheduled for September,
officials said.

Cuban migrants who enter the U.S., often in makeshift rafts, are
typically processed immediately, and the paperwork takes about a week to
complete.

Officials at Camillus House heard about the group's struggle and are
putting them up in a room at its downtown Miami facility near Jackson
Memorial Hospital.

Refugee assistance agency Church World Services often takes in migrants
to help them get on their feet, but said it won't be available to the
group immediately.

Camillus House was founded in August 1960 to help Cuban exiles arriving
in Miami and has been a shelter for both refugees and the homeless.

Authorities said 36 Cubans have arrived to the U.S. in the past four
days. They fear that a growing number of migrants will risk their lives
at sea because many fear that the wet-foot/dry-foot policy will soon
come to an end, since the U.S. and Cuba are re-establishing diplomatic
relations.

"Every time there is a conversation of normalizing relations or the
Cuban Adjustment Act, there is a spike in the numbers of Cubans that are
trying to cross the border," said city of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado.

The wet-foot/dry-foot policy was established in 1995 as an amendment to
the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966.

Source: Homeless Cuban migrants to be held at Camillus House until
processed | News - Home -
http://www.local10.com/news/homeless-cuban-migrants-to-be-held-at-camillus-house-until-processed/34160386

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