The Obama administration will scrap the decades-old "wet foot, dry foot" policy that allows Cuban migrants who arrive in the U.S. without a visa to become legal residents, a senior administration official confirmed to the Associated Press on Thursday.
Havana has agreed in return to begin accepting Cubans who have been ordered to be deported in the U.S., a move the island has rejected for decades, USA Today reported, citing a congressional source. The policy is effective immediately.
The shift is likely President Obama's final change to U.S.-Cuban relations before he leaves office next week. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to roll-back Obama's Cuba policies, including the embargo lift.
Cuba gave no assurances about the treatment those who return to the country will receive, the AP noted.