Duval Times

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and his colleagues have expressed concerns to the Biden-Harris Administration regarding individuals tied to the Cuban regime entering the United States. In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, they called for a review of entry procedures and the removal of those affiliated with the Cuban regime.

"The United States must ensure that former Cuban regime members involved in the oppression of innocent Cuban citizens or the transnational persecution of Cuban-Americans are not welcome into our country," stated Rubio. He emphasized that individuals with troubling backgrounds should not be allowed to remain in the U.S., urging transparency and accountability in vetting procedures.

Joining Rubio were U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and U.S. Representatives Carlos Giménez (R-FL) and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL).

The letter highlighted specific cases, including Cuban Revolutionary Air Force Colonel Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, linked to a 1996 incident where two planes from Brothers to the Rescue were shot down by Cuban MiG-29 fighter jets, resulting in four deaths. Another case mentioned was Manuel Menendez Castellanos, a former high-ranking member of the Cuban Communist Party implicated in acts of oppression.

The lawmakers urged an immediate review and revision of current procedures used by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State for granting entry, citing inadequacies in protecting national security.

"We urge the administration to publicly communicate the vetting procedures and standards by which these immigration decisions are made," they concluded.

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