Cuban Refugees Flood Into Texas During Obama’s Castro Visit

Ever since diplomatic relations cooled between the US and the Castro regime, thousands of Cuban refugees have been flocking to Texas. Between October 2015 and February 2016, more than 18,500 Cubans arrived in Laredo. At that rate, the number of refugees will quickly surpass last year’s record of 28,371. The reason for this massive influx is somewhat counter-intuitive. Since relations between the US and Cuba are normalizing, would-be refugees fear that America’s open door policy to Cubans will be closed, so they’re fleeing to the US while they still have a chance.

Meanwhile, President Obama met with Cuban President Raul Castro this week, and welcomed the Cuban leader’s criticism of the US. “President Castro has also addressed what he views as shortcomings in the United States around basic needs for people in poverty and inequality and race relations and we welcome that constructive dialogue as well.”

Ironic isn’t it? First off, Cuban culture has many of the same racial tensions as the US, and their government has been brushing it under the rug for decades. And really? Raul Castro has the gall to criticize us about poverty, as thousands of his desperate citizens flee Cuba? Inequality is a serious problem in the US, but perhaps unequal wealth is superior to equal poverty.