All Immigrants Welcome: 'It's a double standard for sure': America favors Cuba

'It seems a little strange. Here in Mexico, support has not been seen in any way. I suppose it makes sense they would receive the Cubans with open arms, because they are more educated.'

While the United States fights to keep migrants from entering its borders illegally, the Obama administration has pledged $1 million to provide Cubans trapped in Costa Rica with water, food, sanitation kits and temporary housing.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - One of America's many laws includes an immigration law specifically for Cubans: Should any Cuban citizen reach the United States, they are legally allowed to live in America and apply for a green card.

Since the U.S. began to improve its relationship with Cuba, many Cubans have fled their home country in pursuit of living the American dream.

Unfortunately for the migrants, Nicaragua began to refuse Cuban passage in November, which The New York Times reported left roughly 8,000 Cubans trapped in Costa Rica and another 3,000 in Panama.

Costa Rica was forced to open 29 shelters where migrants could eat and sleep, while the United States donated $1 million to help feed and shelter them through the International Organization for Migration.

The move has led critics to call the U.S. out for favoritism as millions of migrants from around the world are repeatedly denied entrance into the Land of the Free.

"We expect this particular contribution to be a one-time contribution, and the final amount that will actually be provided to I.O.M. will depend upon the ground, given that the number of vulnerable migrants in need of immediate humanitarian aid in Costa Rica fluctuates," the State Department stated.

Meanwhile, Kevin Appleby, the international migration policy director at the Center for Migration Studies in New York, said: "It's a double standard for sure. We are not doing that for the Central American children who are more vulnerable. We are not paying for their shelters in Mexico."

Appleby added that America has actually paid Mexico to increase deportations.

"They are handling even more vulnerable populations by using tax dollar to interdict them, versus housing others. That's the inconsistency they are embarrassed about."

Aracy Matus Sánchez, owner of a refuge for migrants in Mexico, said: "It seems a little strange. Here in Mexico, support has not been seen in any way. I suppose it makes sense they would receive the Cubans with open arms, because they are more educated."

Though critics claim the U.S. has been unfair, Costa rica has been extremely grateful.


In an email, representative Carlos Curbelo said Costa Rica has long been a key ally and the offer of assistance would be used to help in the "geopolitical dispute."

Costa Rican foreign minister Manuel González stated: "At one point, it was costing $35,000 to $40,000 daily. It's complicated logistics: security, medicine, food, electricity. It's quite an important daily expenditure."

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