U.S. officials say there are no immediate plans to change immigration laws or policy. But with the U.S. and Cuba negotiating a return to full diplomatic relations, many Cubans are wondering how long their extraordinary privilege can survive under restored diplomacy, and are thinking about speeding up plans to get to the U.S.
"I don't know if they will take it away," Angela Moreno, a 67-year-old retiree said of the preferential treatment, "but if they do, Cubans who go to the United States will have to do it like people from other countries."
Cubans arriving at a U.S. border or airport automatically receive permission to stay in the United States under policies stemming from the 1966 act, which allows them to apply for permanent residency after a year, almost always successfully.
Illegal immigrants caught right after crossing the border are subject to swift deportation without a hearing, a process known as expedited removal. Cubans are exempted simply by presenting proof of their nationality.
| 
