More Cubans heading to U.S. -- via Mexico

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In the face of a U.S. crackdown on illegal immigration in the waters between Cuba and Florida, Mexican authorities have reported a surge in detentions of Cubans as quick-moving smugglers shift their routes westward.

Under a 1995 proviso of U.S. immigration law known as the ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy, Cubans who reach U.S. territory are entitled to legal residency. With the Florida Straits under the gun, much of the traffic has been rerouted to bring migrants to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and then guide them overland to the U.S. border -- where they are detained on illegal entry charges for just a few days, writes the L.A. Times’ Carol J. Williams.

Read more about Cuban migrants in Mexico here.

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-- Deborah Bonello in Los Angeles