Stricter U.S. policies spark migrant surge from Cuba and Venezuela
- Rep. Jonathan Jackson discussed the surge in migrants during an MSNBC broadcast, linking it to U.S. sanctions on Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti.
- He noted that policies from the previous Trump administration halted economic normalizations and led to significant migration from these countries.
- Jackson concluded that the U.S. needs to reconsider its trade relationships and sanctions to address the broader crisis affecting the hemisphere.
The United States has been facing an increase in migrant flows from various countries in the hemisphere, particularly Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti. On a recent broadcast of MSNBC's 'Way Too Early', Representative Jonathan Jackson of Illinois attributed this situation to the stringent policies implemented by the Trump administration, especially towards Cuba, where additional sanctions were imposed. Jackson highlighted that the termination of normalized trade has exacerbated the economic hardships in these nations, prompting a mass exodus of their citizens. For instance, he noted that the classification of Cuba as a terrorist state earlier in the first Trump administration resulted in approximately 500,000 Cubans leaving the island, while Venezuela's socio-economic crisis led to around 7 million people fleeing the country, despite attempts to displace President Nicolás Maduro. Jackson emphasized that the regional migrant crisis, fueled by policies affecting South and Central America, requires a re-examination of U.S. trade methods to effectively address the humanitarian consequences. He concluded that it's necessary for the U.S. to normalize relations and trade to mitigate this ongoing issue, suggesting that the responsibility for the migrant situation cannot rest solely on Mexico but must be recognized as a broader hemispheric problem.