Wet Foot/ Dry Foot is history

The Wet Foot/ Dry Foot policy for Cuban migrants is history. First instituted by President Clinton in the 1990's, it gave legal residency status to Cubans who entered the United States illegally, as long as they reached American soil. President Obama just ended that policy, putting Cubans on more even footing with other Latin American and Caribbean immigrants. Naysayers to the policy change have been vocal, but overlook a key detail: Cubans still receive preferential treatment in the annual visa lottery process, with a minimum 20,000 visas reserved for Cubans as well as the family reunification program.

The Cuban-American Population

President Obama's decision to restore official relations between the US and Cuba is the biggest shake up in government policy towards that nation in over half a century. Not everyone was happy about it. Particularly in the Cuban-American community, where the criticism came from across party lines. Senators Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, and Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, both faulted Obama's decision. Taking a look at Census statistics it is clear that the most critical remarks are coming from politicians in states with large Cuban populations. Here is a detailed look at where Cuban-Americans live:

 

		Cuban-American Population			Cuban-Americans, as a Percent of Total Population
	United States	1,873,585	1	Florida	6.71%
1	Florida	1,264,799	2	New Jersey	1.05%
2	California	94,334	3	Nevada	0.93%
3	New Jersey	92,780		United States	0.61%
4	New York	69,134	4	New York	0.36%
5	Texas	47,510	5	District of Columbia	0.35%
6	Illinois	25,321	6	Connecticut	0.33%
7	Nevada	25,209	7	Delaware	0.29%
8	Georgia	24,265	8	Kentucky	0.27%
9	North Carolina	20,151	9	California	0.25%
10	Pennsylvania	18,289	10	Georgia	0.25%
11	Virginia	17,099	11	Louisiana	0.24%
12	Massachusetts	12,527	12	Virginia	0.21%
13	Arizona	12,331	13	North Carolina	0.21%
14	Connecticut	11,716	14	Illinois	0.20%
15	Kentucky	11,571	15	Arizona	0.19%
16	Louisiana	11,133	16	Maryland	0.19%
17	Maryland	11,109	17	Massachusetts	0.19%
18	Michigan	10,070	18	New Hampshire	0.19%
19	Tennessee	8,601	19	Texas	0.19%
20	Washington	8,485	20	Rhode Island	0.18%
21	South Carolina	7,874	21	South Carolina	0.17%
22	Ohio	7,311	22	New Mexico	0.17%
23	Missouri	5,698	23	Vermont	0.17%
24	Oregon	5,528	24	Oregon	0.14%
25	Indiana	5,168	25	Pennsylvania	0.14%
26	Colorado	5,121	26	Montana	0.14%
27	Minnesota	3,664	27	Tennessee	0.14%
28	New Mexico	3,507	28	Washington	0.13%
29	Utah	3,193	29	Utah	0.12%
30	Wisconsin	3,096	30	Michigan	0.10%
31	Delaware	2,569	31	Colorado	0.10%
32	New Hampshire	2,493	32	Missouri	0.10%
33	Mississippi	2,439	33	Hawaii	0.09%
34	Alabama	2,200	34	Mississippi	0.08%
35	District of Columbia	2,134	35	Indiana	0.08%
36	Kansas	2,076	36	Alaska	0.08%
37	Rhode Island	1,867	37	Kansas	0.07%
38	Oklahoma	1,828	38	Nebraska	0.07%
39	Montana	1,345	39	Minnesota	0.07%
40	Nebraska	1,282	40	Ohio	0.06%
41	Hawaii	1,269	41	Maine	0.06%
42	Vermont	1,053	42	Wisconsin	0.05%
43	Maine	794	43	Oklahoma	0.05%
44	Iowa	786	44	Alabama	0.05%
45	Arkansas	688	45	Wyoming	0.04%
46	Idaho	591	46	Idaho	0.04%
47	Alaska	538	47	West Virginia	0.03%
48	West Virginia	536	48	Iowa	0.03%
49	Wyoming	236	49	Arkansas	0.02%
50	South Dakota	160	50	South Dakota	0.02%
51	North Dakota	107	51	North Dakota	0.02%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey

B03001 Hispanic or Latino Origin by Specific Origin, 1 year estimates

C03001 Hispanic or Latino Origin by Specific Origin, 1 year estimates