DHS Reopens USCIS Field Office in Havana, Cuba

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced yesterday that “the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) [will reopen] an international field office in Havana, Cuba. The Havana office will assist with U.S. immigration benefits and services . . . 

`This administration is taking steps to reduce unlawful entries, deny resources to ruthless smuggling organizations, and streamline access to lawful, safe, and orderly pathways for those seeking humanitarian relief. Reopening the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Havana helps us do just that.’ said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. `Cubans like my own family, who nearly 63 years ago fled the communist takeover, deserve the same opportunity to follow legal pathways to build a new life in the United States. Our Department is committed to building and enforcing a lawful, humane, and secure immigration system, and we will continue to work with countries across the hemisphere and around the world to ensure it.'”

The Trump administration closed the Havana Field Office on December 10, 2018.

The Cuban community, especially in Miami, had pushed for the reopening of the USCIS office in Havana.  See this Miami Herald story.

KJ