Jeb Bush: Florida preparing for potential surge in Cuban immigrants

[seafan]

Bush: Florida preparing for potential surge in Cuban immigrants

By Jim Ash
August 1, 2006

Gov. Jeb Bush said this morning that the state is reviewing an emergency mass migration plan to thwart any potential rush of refugees should instability in Cuba grow along with doubts about dictator Fidel Castro's grip on power.

Castro released a statement through officials that he was undergoing surgery for intestinal bleeding and was turning over the reins of power to his brother, Raul Castro. The news sparked celebrations in Miami, where the Cuban exile community predicted Castro's exit from the world stage.

"We're monitoring carefully what's going on there," Bush told reporters before a morning Cabinet meeting.

snip

Bush was in Miami on Monday hosting a visit by his brother, the president, and spoke with Coast Guard officials about updating an emergency plan that would turn back waves of immigrants. On April 15, 1980, Castro opened up the Port of Mariel and invited dissatisfied Cubans to leave. By the time the Mariel Boatlift ended Oct. 3, 125,000 Cubans flooded onto the beaches of Miami. Of those, 27 died at sea.

Bush said beefed up Coast Guard patrols would turn back illegal immigrants, and urged Cubans not to leave the island nation.

snip

"That's another good reason mass migration is not a good idea," Bush said. "It's hurricane season."

[babylonsister]

1. Another * "Terra" message? Be skeered of the brown people! nt

[Vogon_Glory]

2. Refugee Rush Likely To Be Less Than Anticipated

I suspect that there would be fewer Cubans heading for Florida if Fidel Castro dies than what right-wing Floridians anticipate. If the rumor mills are putting out the straight stuff, Raul Castro is supposed to be less thrilled with hard-line socialism than his older brother, and the Cuban economy might start encouraging small businesses again. If such is indeed true, there might be less Cuban migration TO Florida and more migration FROM Florida as those emigres return home to start up small businesses on native soil.

On the other hand, out-of-favor hard-line socialists might be making one-way trips across the Florida themselves.

[gratuitous]

5. I think your analysis is correct

It's an article of faith in the expatriate Cuban community that everyone wants out of Cuba. After all, they left, didn't they? But for every individual Cuban, there are a hundred reasons to stay and a hundred reasons to leave. If Fidel Castro isn't in power any longer, do the reasons to leave get lighter? Or heavier? I'm sure that from whatever corner of the afterlife he's currently occupying, Jorge Mas Canosa is frowning that he didn't live just a little while longer.

[heliarc]

15. May Jorge Menos Canosa rot in hell.

Lousy crook.

[Vogon_Glory]

24. Are Most Cuban Migrants Economic Refugees These Days?

I am more than half-convinced that most Cubans seeking to leave the island these days are economic refugees than out-and-out political opponents of the Castro regime. Most of these refugees have better sense than to admit as such, too. If these brave souls who dared the perils of the Florida Straits had better economic opportunities back in Cuba, I seriously doubt that they'd ever have left.

[killbotfactory]

26. Some are also criminals who want to move

However, they can't go through the proper channels since we don't allow Cuban criminals to legally enter the US... unless of course they manage to get their feet on US land before they are caught.

[killbotfactory]

25. Cubans have been very successful with small businesses that are allowed

For example their farmers markets, and home repairs.

If we dropped the damn embargo and stopped trying to destabalize them at every opportunity, in other words: respect them as a nation, we might be able to encourage more reforms and a greater freedom in Cuba.

We might actually be able to learn something from them and their experiences. Like with effecient farming and preventative health care.

[bluedog]

3. keep them the hell out

we don't need anymore gettos in Miami

[RebelOne]

4. I agree. Cubans are one of the many reasons

I moved out of Miami and up to Georgia.

[DURHAM D]

6. I don't get this migration thing - I thought all of those angry old

men in Cuba - many who have been here for 60 years but don't speak a word of english - have always planned to go back to Cuba the minute Castro dies. Have they forgotten their life long mission?

I have a good friend who was a Peter Pan baby. He has shown me old pictures of their family villa in Cuba. His father still expects to return to Cuba and claim the family property, including that villa. My friend jokes that his father is a fool because at least 30 families will have to be evicted from the property, along with the chickens.

[RebelOne]

7. Why would the Cubans return to Cuba?

They have it good now in the U.S. They have all but taken over Miami.

[DURHAM D]

8. I know - but for the crazy old men it has always been their plan. eom

[heliarc]

14. Not just crazy old men...

but also crazy CIA backed paramilitary organizations that train in the Everglades. Not sure how much that's true anymore, but it was true for a long time in Miami. I got the heck out of dodge too. Miami's got real problems. Its the weirdest kind of racism to turn on the local news in Miami and see one story about how Hermanos al Rescate (Brothers to the Rescue) rescued a bunch of Cuban rafters, and then see another news story two minutes later demonizing the Haitians who stowaway in Freighters.

[Virginia Dare]

9. GOP paranoia....n/t

[Benhurst]

10. Dear god! Does this mean I'm going to be forced at gunpoint

to listen to "Babalu"?

[Robbien]

11. Bull. Cuba is not just one man

Cuba is a whole political system which will not fall apart just because one man may die. That is stupid and would be similar to saying if Bush dies the US will stop being a warmongerer which panders to the rich.

[rayofreason]

12. Cuban system stability

If Fidel is not irreplaceable, if the whole system does not depend on is charisma, if that system is the will of the Cuban people, then the Cuban system will continue without much change after Castro leaves the scene.

However, if the current Cuban political system does indeed depend on Castro to hold it together, if Cuba is, as many claim, a repressive dictatorship without the real support of the people, if conditions in Cuba have been whitewashed for years and there is great pent-up anger and frustration, then Castro passing away will be the single-point-failure that leads to a major collapse of the Cuban system as we know it in the next few years, just as happened with the Soviet system.

History, now taking shape, will be the decider, and it will ignore blind adherence to any point of view or ideology in conflict with the reality on the ground.

[Robbien]

13. True

But notice that the mainstream media is pushing only one conclusion: When Castro goes, Cuba will fall apart unless the US comes in with its transition team/plan; and discontented Cubans will flee enmass.

I believe Cuba has its own plans for the change in its government.

[megatherium]

16. If Cuba's plan for change of government is "brother Raul,"

would that be a good or successful path for Cuba to follow?

[rayofreason]

17. "Brother Raul"...

...is the Andropov of Cuba.

[MrPrax]

21. You noticed...?

Yeah virtually every report out of MSM mentions, for some reason, dancing Cubans -- why that would be of interest to anyone, I don't know.

But the US media was reporting this slant when Kim Il-sung died -- North Korea would be thrown into chaos and then while weak and disorganized, we can take advantage and 'free' the North Korean people.

Quite the opposite happened, if we recall.

[zreosumgame]

18. well, a plan to turn back

those who will not sign-up as republican voters anyway

[Kolesar]

20. LOL

very funny

[brooklynite]

19. Good thing Republicans are cracking down on "illegal immigration"

We certainly wouldn't want to support breaking the law, would we?

[AzDar]

22. They could probably house a few families in Jeb's grossly oversized

(and apparently, vacant) cranium. Just sayin'....

[David Zephyr]

23. Marvin and Neil Bush will soon be opening a new "charitable" group

because they "care" and don't mind the federal and state tax dollars they receive while "caring".

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. But....but....

I thought they were all going to be be free and happy when Castro dies. :sarcasm: