The Obama administration announced on Thursday that it intends to reverse the 20-year-old "wet foot, dry foot" established by President Clinton in 1995 which granted fleeing Cubans permanent residency upon reaching the shores of the US and living in the country for one year. With a mere 7 days left in office, Mr. Obama announced that the "wet foot, dry foot" policy of the United States is now effectively over. "By taking this step, we are treating Cuban migrants the same way we treat migrants from other countries," said President Obama, who went on to deem the so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy as "designed for a different era."
Why now?
With only 1 week left as President, Mr.
Obama's decision to revoke a long-standing US policy will surely raise some eyebrows, not only in Washington and Cuba but also around the world. Barack Obama -- the man who will go down in history as the first US President to take genuine steps to normalize relations with Cuba since the Cold War -- has now reversed a policy which was invented specifically to benefit Cubans who fled the tyrannical rule of Fidel Castro. Mending US-Cuba relations is considered a cornerstone achievement of President Obama's legacy. So why has he reversed a long-standing US policy favorable to Cuba within the last week of his presidency? Nobody is quite sure.
Here comes President Trump
With the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20th only 1 week away, will this decision impact the incoming administration's relations with Cuba?
Conservatives have spent the last 8 years blasting Mr. Obama as an "open borders" liberal not tough enough on immigration policy. Will Republicans in Congress, such as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz (both men being of Cuban heritage) speak against or come out in support of President Obama's last second move in office? Or will they remain quiet upon the appointment of a fellow Republican as President?
Mr. Obama's reversal of US policy on Cuba is surely an interesting move which will have political fallout upon the assumption of Washington by a Republican President and Republican-led Congress. #PresidentObama.
