The Biden-Harris Administration has recently expanded the issuance of non-immigrant visas (NIVs) to Cuba, which has raised concerns among Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Ted Cruz (R-TX). In a recent letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, they say the expansion "does not serve America's interests" and is "yet another case of the Biden-Harris Administration's appeasement of the regime."
Additionally, the Senators point out that the Diaz-Canel regime will only allow party insiders and those favored by the government to leave the island, as they have " historically sponsored athletes, artists, and entertainers to spread its propaganda abroad."
In other words, "It will be nearly impossible to provide proper vetting of potential NIV recipients given the regime's lack of transparency and our inadequate insight into the island. Given the risks associated with allowing agents of an SSOT to enter the country, it is unclear how the U.S. might benefit from these NIVs. We must assume this is yet another case of the Biden-Harris Administration's appeasement of the regime."
In addition to being designated state sponsors of terrorism, Sens. Rubio and Scott point out the May airport debacle, in which Cuban officials were given a tour of the Miami International Airport (MIA), in which they were allowed to visit secure areas, and the allowance of Cubans to open American bank accounts and use online banking.
As a result, Rubio and Scott demanded answers on how the issuance of NIVs for Cuba would benefit the United States, ensuring vetting protocols are appropriately stringent to avoid letting regime insiders into the country and if non-immigrant vias will be issued to other state sponsors of terrorism such as Iran, Syria, and North Korea.
"Rather than compelling the Cuban dictatorship to end its human rights abuses and bring democracy to the island, the Biden-Harris Administration has only looked for opportunities to pacify the regime and mend diplomatic relations. 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," the letter concluded.
