Kathy Castor sees Havana embassy shutdown as Trump move to cut immigration

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Paul Guzzo
Times staff writer
Published: February 6, 2018


TAMPA — U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor says the Trump administration is seeking to tamp down on immigration from Cuba by halting the processing of visas in Havana.

. . .

"The decision to reduce our diplomatic presence in Havana was made to ensure the safety of our personnel," the State Department said in an email to The Tampa Bay Times."

But Castor, the Tampa Democrat who worked with the Obama administration on normalizing relations with Cuba, questions the current administration’s story.

"If the intent of the administration was to help everyday Cubans, the policy has failed," Castor said. "This is looking more intentional if you put it in the context of the larger views on immigration. It’s been done in a dishonest way."

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/Kathy-Castor-sees-Havana-embassy-shutdown-as-Trump-move-to-cut-immigration_165162216