Several Cuban Migrant Identities Revealed As They Await Decision

Several Cuban Migrant Identities Revealed As They Await Decision
May 22, 2016 8:44 AM

SUGARLOAF KEY (CBSMiami) – A group of 19 Cuban migrants that were in a
standoff with the Coast Guard at a lighthouse off the Florida Keys are
still waiting to hear whether they'll be able to remain in the U.S. or
be sent back to Cuba.

They found themselves in a stalemate with the U.S. Coast Guard on
Friday, swimming to a lighthouse and climbing on top as authorities
approached their home-made boat.

Hours later, the migrants gave in and came down off the lighthouse,
boarding the Coast Guard Cutter.

Now, their status remains in limbo.

"At this point, we're trying to enter into a dialogue with the
government to see if they will allow these people to remain here," said
Democracy Movement leader Ramon Saul Sanchez, who showed up at the Coast
Guard station in Miami Beach.

The migrants have remained on that Coast Guard ship, which is out at
sea, as the government tries to figure out if the lighthouse, in U.S.
waters, is considered "making it to shore" in the wet-foot, dry-foot policy.

If the answer is "no," they will be sent back to Cuba.

"The attorneys are working together with the relatives here to see if we
can present an injunction order as soon as possible or some kind of
legal recourse to stop the repatriation while the court can decide if
these people are dry foot because they were in a structure that is part
of the united states." said Sanchez.

The attorneys working on behalf of the migrants worked all day Saturday
preparing documents.

"We can file a federal action immediately upon their decision," said
attorney Virlenys Palma. "We have no filed action yet because we're
giving them an opportunity to decide if they're gonna allow them to stay
or not."

Late Saturday a list was compiled by Movimiento Democracia that showed
the name of 15 of the migrants that were with the Coast Guard.

Liban Concepcion Lio, Alexeis Leyva, Soltan Gamboa Ruiz, Luis Felpie
Gamboa Ruiz, Oscar Luis Lopez, Michael Perez, Yordanki Perez Varea,
Alexander Vergara Lopez, Jennifer Cespedez Almaguen, Carlos Javiel,
Leonides Pena Parra, Yasel Kalet, Carlos Alberto Jorge Quevedo, Marco
Antonio Pastoriza and Alexea Batista are the names on the list.

Relatives of some of the migrants also waited for the decision, which
could come at any time.

There is a precedent here for officials to reference. A similar
situation happened ten years ago when a group of Cuban migrants made it
to the old Seven Mile Bridge just below Marathon Key.

In that case, they were sent back to Cuba because officials said making
it to the bridge column in the water was not the same as making it to shore.

Then after going back to Cuba a judge ended up reversing that decision.

Source: Several Cuban Migrant Identities Revealed As They Await Decision
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