PORTSMOUTH, Va. - "The U.S. Coast Guard maintains a robust presence in the Florida straits, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Our role in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws remains unchanged in light of Thursday's announcement. The Coast Guard’s highly-trained crews aboard cutters, aircraft and small boats remain ready and continue to work with our DHS partners to stop any attempts at illegal immigration to the United States. If anyone attempts to illegally immigrate by sea the U.S. Coast Guard will stop them and repatriate them in accordance with U.S. law and international agreements.
Safety of life at sea is top priority for the Coast Guard and our DHS partners. Taking to sea in a poorly-constructed, ill-equipped craft is extremely dangerous. Every effort will be made by the Coast Guard to stop illegal voyages before they potentially end in tragedy. I urge Cuban-American communities to discourage the people of Cuba from putting their lives at risk in dangerous and illegal at-sea crossings."
-END STATEMENT-
For the full White House announcement, click here.
For Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson's statement, click here.
For the joint statement between the governments of the United States and Cuba, click here.
For the DHS fact sheet on changes to parole and expedited removal policies affecting Cuban nationals, click here.
Vice Adm. Karl L. Schultz is the U.S. Coast Guard's Atlantic Area Commander, where he serves as the operational commander for all Coast Guard missions from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf, spanning across five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. Vice Adm. Schultz' bio can be found here.
For more information about Coast Guard alien migrant interdiction operations in the Florida Straits and the Caribbean, please contact the Coast Guard Seventh District Public Affairs Office in Miami at (305) 415-6683.
For more information regarding this change in immigration policy, please contact the DHS Office of Public Affairs at (202) 282-8010.