| Mariel Boatlift |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT MARIEL BOATLIFT | |
| cuban revolution | |
| refugees | |
| key west, florida | |
| cuban-american relations | |
| 1980 in the united states | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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The Mariel boatlift was a mass exodus of Cuban emigrants who departed for the United States from Cuba 's Mariel Harbor between April 15 and October 31 , 1980 . Fidel Castro eventually closed the harbour to all would-be Cuban emigrants. Due to ocean currents and its close proximity, the refugees' vessels headed to Florida and the majority landed in Miami . The immigrants were detained upon arrival and crowded conditions in South Florida immigration processing centers forced U.S. government agencies to swiftly move the " Marielito s" to other centers in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania , Fort McCoy, Wisconsin , and Fort Chaffee, Arkansas . Riots in the Arkansas center were a factor in the re-election defeat of then-Governor Bill Clinton . President Jimmy Carter was also heavily criticized for his handling of the situation. During this period, approximately 125,000 Cubans arrived at the United States ' shores in about 1,700 boats creating large waves of people that overwhelmed the U.S. Coast Guard . Many of the vessels were barely seaworthy and a total of 27 migrants died, including 14 on an overloaded boat which capsized on May 17 , 1980 . Upon arrival, many Cubans were placed in Refugee Camp s, while others were held to federal prisons to undergo deportation hearings. Some of the Refugees were later discovered to be violent Felons released from Cuban prisons and others were discovered to be mental patients released from Mental Hospitals . The Mariel boatlift was depicted in the 1983 film '' Scarface ''. SEE ALSO
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