Two Cuban Migrants Landed in Florida Airport on a Hang Glider
Two Cuban migrants recently took to the sky and landed at an airport in Key West, Florida using a motorized hang glider. Where most migrants make it to the US via boat, the two made their 90-mile trip in the air, instead. Although Border Patrol apprehended the men immediately upon arrival, neither suffered any injuries during the trip.
Two Cuban migrants fly their way to the United States
The two men landed at Key West International Airport at roughly 10:30 AM local time on Saturday, March 25. According to the director of airports in Key West, their landing did not interrupt flights or operations.
Additionally, here’s a video of the two migrants flying to Key West International Airport: A pilot in the Keys named Nick Pontecorvo said, “It was pretty awesome. To make that flight 90 miles over open ocean, especially with the wind, that takes a lot of courage.”
Florida’s “wet foot, dry foot” policy explained
From 1995 to 2017, Florida engaged in the “wet foot, dry foot” policy. Essentially, Border Patrol agents returned Cuban migrants back to Cuba if they caught them at sea. However, migrants that made it to the United States could stay. They even qualified for “legal permanent resident” status with an expedited path to US citizenship.
President Obama ended the policy on January 12, 2017, just one week before President Trump took office. However, with more Cuban migrants coming to the United States, many are hoping for some kind of resurgence of the “wet foot, dry foot” policy.
Pro- and anti-immigration advocates alike agree: this was pretty awesome
It’s nice when we can take a minute to put our differences aside and appreciate some true human ingenuity. The two Cubans who flew their way to the US have supporters on both sides of the aisle.
