The Nation : Cubans Near Citizenship
The first Cuban refugees from the 1980 Mariel boatlift were granted permanent residency status Monday, the initial step toward becoming U.S. citizens, immigration officials said in Miami. About 125,000 refugees who arrived in Florida as part of the boatlift from the Cuban port of Mariel had been in legal limbo, classified as “entrants,” until the federal government reactivated the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act last year. An official said that about 100,000 refugees registered for the residency status, and processing should be completed in about a year.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
