Mexico to deport illegal Cubans bound for U.S.

MEXICO CITY – Mexico agreed Monday to deport Cubans who sneak illegally through Mexican territory to reach the U.S., a step toward cutting off an increasingly violent and heavily used human trafficking route.

The agreement, signed by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Mexican Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa, takes effect in one month. It also criticizes U.S. policy that generally allows Cubans who reach U.S. territory to stay, while turning back most caught at sea.

Cuban migrants in recent years have increasingly headed for Mexico – often to the coast near Cancun – then overland to Texas because it has become so hard to dodge the U.S. Coast Guard and reach Florida to qualify for U.S. residency.

The Department of Homeland Security said 11,126 used the Mexico route last year, compared to just 1,055 who landed in the Miami area.

Before Monday, Mexico rarely sent back Cubans caught entering the country illegally. Many were held for a time, then were given 10- to 30-day exit orders, which allowed them to continue on to Texas, where Cubans present only identity documents and undergo medical and background checks before being welcomed to America.

Under the new agreement, Mexico agreed to deport Cubans found illegally in Mexico.

Perez Roque said the agreement would lead to “the immense majority of Cubans being repatriated.” Approximately 2,000 Cubans are currently being held in Mexican immigration detention centers.

“I am sure that this memorandum of understanding is going to significantly reduce attempts to use Mexico as a route to getting to the United States,” he said.