The organization Solidaridad Sin Fronteras, based in Florida, sent a letter on March 10 to Secretary of State, Cuban-American Marco Rubio, requesting him to reactivate the parole for Cuban doctors, who are or have been exploited in the misnamed "missions" of the regime around the world or who are in the United States in a migratory limbo.
This was explained in statements to CiberCuba by Julio César Alfonso Sánchez, president of Solidaridad Sin Fronteras, in an interview where he stated categorically that he is "absolutely convinced" that "we are going to achieve it."
The parole for Cuban doctors came into effect in 2006 under the administration of George W. Bush and was suspended amid the thawing of relations between Barack Obama and Raúl Castro in 2017. During that 11-year period, nearly 18,000 Cuban professionals were able to take advantage of this immigration status and regularize their situation in the United States.
Currently, Solidaridad Sin Fronteras is in contact with Marco Rubio's office, and despite the suspension of the parole and all the immigration processes associated with it being one of the first measures adopted by President Donald Trump, Julio César Alfonso argues that it is possible to advance the parole for doctors because the Republican government's fight is against illegal immigration, and when all the pathways for illegal entry into the U.S. are closed, it makes sense to open legal channels.
Therefore, I am hopeful that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will reactivate the parole for Cuban doctors, especially given the shortage of healthcare professionals in the United States. In his view, this would not only address a problem in Florida but would also cut off the funding that the Castro regime derives from exploiting doctors, which is estimated at 11 billion dollars. He insisted that this amount exceeds what the Cuban communists collect from sectors such as tourism.
If the parole for doctors is reactivated, Julio César Alfonso believes that between 3,000 and 5,000 Cuban health professionals located in various parts of the world could benefit. This also includes those who are currently in the United States in a migratory limbo.
In the letter that the president of Solidaridad Sin Fronteras sent to Marco Rubio this week, he reminds him that in February 2025, he announced that the State Department is restricting visas to individuals who exploit Cuban workers, "implicitly acknowledging that the situation of modern slavery and human trafficking continues with Cuban health professionals in the regime's medical missions."
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