Last Cuban doctor defectors arrive in US after policy change

Pavot and other Cuban doctors arriving this week in Miami under the now canceled policy called the Cuban Medical Professionals Parole said they're relieved to be arriving despite uncertain times for immigrants under the Trump administration.

The program — begun in 2006 by then President George W. Bush — allowed Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to defect to the U.S. while on their government's mandatory assignments abroad.

The repeal of the "wet foot, dry foot" policy was welcomed by many in the Cuban exile community who accused certain recent arrivals of abusing privileges by claiming federal benefits and then traveling back to Cuba.

Cuba's doctors abroad program has earned praise from the World Health Organization for responding to the Ebola outbreak in Africa and to natural disasters such as Haiti's 2010 earthquake.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican U.S. representative born in Cuba, said the Cuban doctors worked under "modern-day indentured servitude" and that the defector program was "undermining the Castro regime by providing an outlet for Cuban doctors to seek freedom from forced labor."

Some critics also say the Cuban government exploits medical professionals abroad by taking away most of the wages paid by foreign governments and using the funds as a source of hard currency for the island.