New Exodus of Cubans coming to America

[eagle1462010]

New exodus of Cubans headed to the U.S. is underway across the Americas

BY NANCY SAN MARTIN

CIUDAD HIDALGO, MEXICO
They line up on the edge of the water, their silhouettes barely visible in the wee hours before the sun rises. Groups of 10 to 12 climb aboard rafts mounted with plywood and pay less than $2 to be ferried to the other side. Within the span of 20 minutes, at least 60 have crossed aboard six rafts.

All of them are Cuban migrants en route to the United States. The illegal crossing scene at the Río Suchiate — the body of water that separates Guatemala from Mexico — is happening every day under the cover of darkness.

“We’re leaving in droves,” said one Cuban as he rushed to get away from the river and onto a van that would drive his group to the nearest immigration center in Tapachula, about 18 miles away. “Everybody is leaving Cuba.”

“Another hundred are waiting to cross,” shouted another young man as he dismounted the raft from Guatemala and caught up with the group of new arrivals in Mexico.

The migrants are from across the island, predominantly between 20 and 40 years old. Many travel with children. Most are headed to South Florida.

The migrants are Cubans who have either spent some time in third countries such as Ecuador or who travel directly from the island to a third country as tourists and immediately proceed on their journey across South and Central America to make their way to the U.S.-Mexico border.

And the Beat goes on...................We need to secure our borders.

 

[eagle1462010]

The Wet Feet Dry Feet policy on immigration needs to end.........

 

[Shrimpbox]

One cannot often fathom the depths to which people will go to escape,their predicaments. When shrimping in and around the keys in Florida, where we only drag at night, we often get in our own little cocoon on the water and our oblivious to our surroundings unless we go outside the cabin. Large engine and generator noise sort of blocks out any noise from,the sea. One night while half asleep in the chair, I heard some radio talk. One guy said he had about 27 Cubans trying to get on his shrimp boat, no small,vessel. They were women and children and men who were on a homemade raft of 55 gallon drums and other floating material. The weather was not calm(3 to 5 foot,seas). They had been on the water for five days and the tide and currents had pushed them to north side of,keys. The captain did not know what to do. He did not want to get overwhelmed by the group but neither did he want to turn them away. He was in a predicament. They pleaded with him not to call,the coast guard because if they failed,to,set foot on land they would be deported. The coast guard did eventually show up and I do not know,what happened to them.

The larger point is that very few people know,the lonliness and helplessness one feels when floating on the ocean when it is calm much less,choppy, and then you add nighttime into the equation. If they hadn't bumped into,that shrimp oat they would have died. Those,that take such a chance with their loved ones must have a hope for the future that is greater than their fear of the u known. I don't think I could have done it, but anyone that would go to that extreme, to risk their lives, wouldn't be returned by me. It sure gives you a different perspective on the stuff going on in the Mediterranean when you have seen it up close and personal. I was not there that night but the memory will stick,with me always.

 

[eagle1462010]

One cannot often fathom the depths to which people will go to escape,their predicaments. When shrimping in and around the keys in Florida, where we only drag at night, we often get in our own little cocoon on the water and our oblivious to our surroundings unless we go outside the cabin. Large engine and generator noise sort of blocks out any noise from,the sea. One night while half asleep in the chair, I heard some radio talk. One guy said he had about 27 Cubans trying to get on his shrimp boat, no small,vessel. They were women and children and men who were on a homemade raft of 55 gallon drums and other floating material. The weather was not calm(3 to 5 foot,seas). They had been on the water for five days and the tide and currents had pushed them to north side of,keys. The captain did not know what to do. He did not want to get overwhelmed by the group but neither did he want to turn them away. He was in a predicament. They pleaded with him not to call,the coast guard because if they failed,to,set foot on land they would be deported. The coast guard did eventually show up and I do not know,what happened to them.

The larger point is that very few people know,the lonliness and helplessness one feels when floating on the ocean when it is calm much less,choppy, and then you add nighttime into the equation. If they hadn't bumped into,that shrimp oat they would have died. Those,that take such a chance with their loved ones must have a hope for the future that is greater than their fear of the u known. I don't think I could have done it, but anyone that would go to that extreme, to risk their lives, wouldn't be returned by me. It sure gives you a different perspective on the stuff going on in the Mediterranean when you have seen it up close and personal. I was not there that night but the memory will stick,with me always.

Immigration is a numbers game................we can't afford the numbers and those increasing our welfare expenses.................There are over 200 million living on $5 a day or even less South of the Border, and in the Carribean............we can't take them all.............without making our debts even worse...................


While in the Navy we picked up Vietnamese escaping in boats that were close to sinking..........they went out hoping to be seen because they heard the U.S. Fleet was coming through.............We picked them up, most of us donated money and clothes for them and put them in a refugee camp in Thailand........................Some of those that tried didn't make it and died.............they told us many died in the attempt..........................

I'm not INHUMAN.............I get what you say..............but we cannot simply take in every body without paying a heavy price for it.....................If we were BOOMING and needed more workers because we couldn't find enough help then that would be a different story.....................But that is not the case.....................

I stand by we need to Secure our borders and end the policy of Wet Feet Dry Feet.

 

[Shrimpbox]

I agree with you E. And I would have addressed the Middle East refugees problem by carving out a piece of land and providing food shelter and protection for refugees. I would have gotten help,from all the European countries in the form of humanitarian aid, but I would have kept the refugees in their own geography adding further pressure to come to a solution. The problem should have been addressed proactively, give the resources to the Red Cross and let them take care of it in their own region. NATO could have handled this, what the heck is nato for. The other Arab states could chip in on the finances. An interim solution could have been found but such thinking is way over obamas head. In a nutshell, Assad and Putin are dumping the rebels in western nations and cleansing Syria of any opposition and Isis is sprinkling,the refugees with plants for future attacks on the west. Dumb doesn't even begin to describe our stupidity.

Here, I don't know about building a wall but the border would be closed. A sandwich, a bottle of water and a ride back to Mexico. Period!