A Cuban fishing village ponders its options as U.S. policy shifts

FILE PHOTO: Fishermen clean their boats after a night at sea in Isabela de Sagua, Cuba, January 28, 2023. This far-flung peninsula - on Cuba's north-central coast just 130 miles (210 km) south of the Florida Keys - is poised to once again become a barometer for measuring the impact of U.S. immigration policy, say residents, who for decades have watched the ebb and flow of migrants from the town's sand- and mangrove-lined shores. The latest twist: A U.S. "parole" program announced in early January that allows up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba and some other countries to enter the United States each month provided they apply online, find a financial sponsor and pay airfare. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini

ISABELA DE SAGUA, Cuba (Reuters) - At a porchfront coffee stand in the Cuban village of Isabela de Sagua, sunburned fishermen gather at first light to talk of wind, tide and, increasingly, the fine points of U.S. immigration policy.

The latest twist: A U.S. "parole" program announced in early January that allows up to 30,000 migrants from Cuba and some other countries to enter the United States each month provided they apply online, find a financial sponsor and pay airfare.