13 Cuban migrants land on Key West beach

U.S. authorities took into custody 13 migrants who landed on Key West on Tuesday after setting sail from Cuba one day earlier.

The Border Patrol apprehended 12 men and a woman, according to a report by the Miami Herald.

A similar boat, with 14 Cuban nationals, landed in the Upper Keys last Friday after a six-day trek at sea, and a Cuban man was rescued adrift near the Keys on Saturday, but he later died.

Another boat with six men landed in the Keys on Aug. 3, according to the report.

The 13 Cubans who were apprehended on Tuesday were interviewed by the Border Patrol, processed for removal proceedings and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson.

Cuban nationals are now subject to the same immigration laws as nationals from other countries, but until 2017 they were subject to a separate “wet foot, dry foot” policy.

Under that policy, Cubans who successfully made it aground onto U.S. territory were eligible to pursue U.S. residency, but those caught at sea were promptly returned to the island.

Former President Obama ended “wet foot, dry foot” as part of his rapprochement to Cuba, making it more difficult for Cuban nationals to migrate to the United States.

Before “wet foot, dry foot,” the United States had a policy of not repatriating Cubans that lasted roughly from 1960 to 1995, when unrest on the island drove tens of thousands of Cubans to attempt the treacherous journey over water.

In July, Cubans held the largest national protests since 1994, demanding better services, economic conditions and personal liberties.

The Cuban government responded by cracking down on internet access on the island, which had been expanded as a result of negotiations with the Obama administration.