Duval Times

Following reports that the Biden-Harris administration's immigration program has allowed individuals connected to the Cuban regime to enter and reside in the United States, Senator Rick Scott has joined Senator Marco Rubio in addressing concerns to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. The senators are urging a review of procedures for determining entry eligibility and calling for the removal of Cuban regime members from the country. U.S. law deems any individual affiliated with a Communist Party inadmissible for entry.

Representatives Carlos Giménez and María Elvira Salazar also signed the letter. The letter states, "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." It further urges transparency in vetting procedures to maintain accountability.

The letter specifically addresses concerns about granting parole to 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. Additionally, it mentions Manuel Menendez Castellanos, a former high-ranking member of the Cuban Communist Party implicated in acts against Cubans.

The lawmakers call on the administration to revise current procedures used by U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State for entry determinations, stating that recent outcomes show inadequacies in protecting national security.

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