A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department responded to a request from journalist Mario J. Pentón (Martí Noticias) regarding the case of Manuel Menéndez Castellanos, a former Castro leader who recently arrived in Miami.
"Visa records are confidential under U.S. law. We do not discuss individual visa cases. All travelers to the United States are subject to an appropriate interagency security investigation based on their nationality and the purpose of their trip," was the brief response to the request for a reaction to the allegations of ties to the Cuban government of Menéndez Castellanos.
Pentón pointed out that from the response it follows that they will not make statements to the press regarding the issue.
He also noted the State Department's reference that the reunification visa "was subjected to an investigation process" before being granted.
However, the request that may provide a more concrete answer is from three congressmen and two Republican senators, four of whom are Cuban-Americans, who sent a joint letter this Wednesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
The politicians requested an evaluation of whether the law was followed in allowing the entry of former Castro leader Manuel Menéndez Castellanos into the U.S. and that, if it is confirmed that legal provisions were violated, appropriate action should be taken.
The signers of the document were Republican Congress members María Elvira Salazar, Mario Díaz Balart, and Carlos Giménez; and Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott.
"Within all applicable rules and regulations, we request that you assess whether the law was followed in this case and, if not, what specific processes are in place to ensure that a similar mistake does not occur," noted the letter, which listed which legal provision could be violated.
INA 212(a)(3)(D)(i) states that, "Any immigrant who is or has been a member of or affiliated with the Communist Party or any other totalitarian party (or subdivision or affiliate of such), whether national or foreign, is inadmissible."
The USCIS website explains more about this provision in U.S. law by stating: “Generally, any immigrant who is or has been a member of or is affiliated with the Communist Party or any other totalitarian party (or subdivision or affiliate thereof), whether national or foreign, is inadmissible” (Chapter 3 - Membership in Totalitarian Parties | USCIS).
The letter added that "given this prohibition in U.S. law, it would seem likely that a high-level and long-time operative of the Communist Party of Cuba and an agent of that brutal dictatorship would be inadmissible for entry to the U.S."
"We are outraged that an individual who played a role in oppressing the Cuban people for decades has been allowed to enter the U.S. to spend his retirement in freedom and comfort. For these reasons, we request that you evaluate whether the law was followed in this case and, if not, what actions will be taken to ensure that high-level operatives of the Cuban Communist Party, who should be inadmissible according to the law, are not allowed entry," concluded the letter.
Since the arrival on August 15 of Manuel Menéndez Castellanos at Miami International Airport, where he tried to go unnoticed by wearing a cap, a medical mask, glasses, and being transported in a wheelchair, a growing discomfort has arisen within the Cuban community residing in South Florida.
And it is that, as influencers, journalists, and lawyers have insistently pointed out in recent days, at the same time there are thousands of citizens from the island in the U.S. who are going through a migratory limbo, and many of them are even in danger of deportation.
The letter sent to Blinken and Mayorkas fulfills the wish of attorney Wilfredo Allen, who indicated that a federal investigation requested by the Cuban-American lawmakers from South Florida was the best way to find out why Menéndez Castellanos was allowed to enter.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under:
