Proclamation 5517—Suspension of Cuban Immigration

In light of the May 20, 1985, statement of the Government of Cuba that it had decided "to suspend all types of procedures regarding the execution" of the December 14, 1984, immigration agreement between the United States and Cuba, thereby disrupting normal migration procedures between the two countries, and in light of the continuing failure of the Government of Cuba to resume normal migration procedures with the United States while at the same time facilitating illicit migration to the United States, I have determined that it is in the interest of the United States to suspend entry into the United States as immigrants by all Cuban nationals, with the exceptions noted below, pending the restoration of normal migration procedures between the two countries.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including Section 212(t) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended (8 U.S.C. 1182(1)) ("the Act"), having found that the unrestricted entry into the United States as immigrants by Cuban citizens would, except as provided in Section 2, be detrimental to the interests of the United States, do proclaim that:

Section 1. Entry of Cuban nationals as immigrants is hereby suspended, except as noted in Section 2.

Sec. 2. The suspension of entry as immigrants contained in Section 1 shall not apply: (a) to Cuban nationals applying for admission to the United States as immediate relatives under Section 201(b) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(b)) and special immigrants described in Section 101(a)(27)(A) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(A)); (b) to Cuban nationals applying for admission into the United States as preference immigrants under Section 203(a) of the Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)) at United States consular posts designated by the Secretary of State for the processing of Cuban nationals, where the applicant can demonstrate that he or she departed Cuba prior to the date of this proclamation, has remained outside Cuba since that date, and otherwise qualified for preference immigrants status; and (c) in such other cases or categories of cases as may be designated from time to time by the Secretary of State or his designee.

Sec. 3. This proclamation shall be effective immediately and shall remain in effect until such time as the Secretary of State, after consultation with the Attorney General, determines that normal migration procedures with Cuba have been restored. Any such determination by the Secretary of State shall be published in the Federal Register.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.

RONALD REAGAN