No more Cuban immigrants will be arriving in El Paso

The planes carrying hundreds of Cuban immigrants to the border have stopped, according to Ruben Garcia, Director of the Annunciation House.

The last plane arrived in Ciudad Juarez Wednesday afternoon and approximately 300 Cubans were processed by Customs and Border Protection and allowed to enter the U.S.

Garcia said about 3,000 Cuban immigrants arrived in El Paso in the last month.

Many of the immigrants are coming now because they’re concerned a better relationship between the U.S. and Cuba means they’ll soon stop getting preferential treatment and a stipend when they do make it to the U.S.

“We’re helping them make travel arrangements for them to be reunited with families and friends throughout the United States.” said Paola Hernandez, an Austin college student who is in El Paso for the summer and is volunteering at Holy Family Catholic Church, the fifth shelter to open for the migrants.

Cuban immigrants caught at sea on their way to Miami are turned back. So they now try to get to the U.S. through Central America and Mexico. But when Nicaragua and Costa Rica closed their borders to Cubans, many of them were stranded in Panama. An agreement between Mexico and Panama allowed 9,000 Cubans to fly to the U.S. / Mexico border, where they are processed and allowed in the country on a parole basis awaiting an immigration hearing.

“Immigration has existed since time began,” said parishioner Alberto Aguirre, as he dropped off bags of food to donate at Holy Family.

“They’re very grateful for the attention and the care that we’ve given them so they’re very very excited to be here with us,” said Hernandez, the volunteer. She said many of the immigrants are trying to get to Houston or Miami to meet family or friends.

Annunciation House, who has led efforts to shelter immigrants is trying to raise $1 million to renovate its 100-year old building which has housed 125,000 people from over 40 countries. The shelter is run entirely by volunteers and relies almost exclusively on donations. The brick walls need to resealed, the kitchen must be moved from the second to the first floor, a new HVAC system must be installed and the entire facility needs to be brought into compliance with basic housing, safety, and disability codes, according to the fundraising website.

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