The dream of being able to leave Cuba to start a new and prosperous life in the United States is one of the greatest aspirations for the citizens of the Island, although it entails a process in which perseverance is an indispensable quality.
This was demonstrated by the story of a Cuban woman interviewed by Mario J. Pentón, who received her parole humanitarian after having to apply for it a second time, after the rejection of his first application.
Despite the disappointment of this first snub, the woman and her family insisted on looking for the opportunity, managing to give a very different ending to their story.
According to what she said, the woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, began her process on January 7, 2023, just in the first hours of the parole humanitarian law, imposed by the government of Democratic President Joe Biden, came into effect.
This first I-134A form received a quick but discouraging response of disapproval, stamped “Non confirm.”
Far from giving up, and thanks to the tireless support of her family, the Cuban gave a second chance to paroleeven when he did not know what had caused the failure on the first occasion.
Perseverance paid off, and this second attempt culminated successfully on March 4, when, to his surprise, he received permission to fly from Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
This was just the beginning of the dream, one that she herself couldn’t believe, mainly due to the relative speed with which things happened, with everything happening in less than a month.
“They applied the parole Again, it arrived on February 16 and on March 4 I was in Miami. Now next year I can apply for the Cuban Adjustment Law,” said the migrant.
The Cuban wanted to give important advice to her countrymen, as she pointed out that although many say it, it is easy to despair while waiting, so she recommended that they “have a lot of patience and a lot of faith, that everything comes. I was disapproved and here I am.”
The woman has been able to integrate well into American society, as she benefited from the work permit that the government grants to those who arrive through the humanitarian visa.
According to the lawyer, there have been several similar cases of Cubans who apply twice, they have even had responses from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with exactly the same advice: that they have to apply again for a new review. and let them determine whether they approve or deny it.
It is important to remember, however, that the rejection of the current application is necessary to submit a next one, since even the US authorities have warned that the application of two or more simultaneous applications can lead to their automatic cancellation.
These stories continue to occur amid the growing political tension between Democrats and Republicans in the US regarding immigration policy. States such as Texas and Iowa have registered clashes, and the advancement of their anti-immigrant bills.
Figures one year from parole humanitarian
During the first year of the innovative humanitarian parole program promoted by the Joe Biden administration, a total of 327,000 humanitarian visas were granted to citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti.
Cubans represented 21.1% of the total, with more than 69,000 visas approved, with the Island registering its largest migratory exodus since the triumph of the Cuban revolution in 1959.