U.S. announces reopening in Cuba of office for immigration issues

Washington, Aug 17 (RHC) The Department of Homeland Security, through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced this Thursday the reopening of an international office in Havana, Cuba.

According to the official statement, the office in the Cuban capital will help those services, including conducting interviews and processing pending cases of the family reunification program.

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, said that the current administration is taking measures to reduce illegal entries, deny resources to smuggling organizations, and simplify access to legal, safe and orderly pathways for those seeking humanitarian aid.

The Havana Field Office officially closed on December 10, 2018, during the Donald Trump administration, following the long-term suspension of operations in 2017 after the State Department ordered all non-essential personnel and their families leave Cuba.

A measure that occurred in the process of dismantling the Washington embassy in Havana after unfounded accusations by the White House about alleged sonic attacks that affected its diplomats on the island.

On June 9, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it would resume operations under the Cuban Family Reunification Parole program, which was established in 2007 to provide a safe and orderly path for migration to the United States. (Source: PL)