CCR's Cuba Travel Project

Overview

For nearly 50 years, the United States has enforced an economic embargo against the country of Cuba aimed at forcing a regime change within the island nation and, ostensibly, cutting off the flow of funds to the existing Cuban government.  This embargo, which includes a general prohibition against Americans traveling to the country, has failed to achieve its stated goals.  Instead, the U.S.’s continued pursuit of this anachronistic and irrational policy toward Cuba has alienated it from other countries as well as regional organizations, including the United Nations, which has condemned the embargo for 18 consecutive years.  

The Center for Constitutional Rights has consistently criticized the prohibition of travel to Cuba as an irrational policy that violates international law, infringes unjustifiably on the rights of Americans, and injures both Cubans and Americans alike.  Since 1997, CCR has worked to rescind the travel restrictions enforced as part of the embargo and has represented over 425 individuals accused of violating the travel ban.  These individuals were subjected to unconstitutional, Kafkaesque investigations and prosecutions that resulted in hefty fines, particularly following the tightening of travel restrictions under Bush administration regulations passed in 2004. CCR also has pending litigation, Sanders v. Szubin, challenging the procedures by which the Department of Treasury investigates suspected travel to Cuba.

Today, most countries have diplomatic relations with Cuba, and only the United States prohibits its nationals from traveling to the island nation.  U.S. nationals are not prohibited from visiting any other country, including those that are subject to other U.S. sanctions regimes (for example, North Korea, Iran or Sudan).  The Cuba travel ban is a relic of unsuccessful Cold War policy kept alive by electoral considerations and not rational foreign policy or national security concerns.

Media Links

March 31, 2010
FBI Questions American Travelers To Cuba

March 28, 2010
Dreaming of Cuban Profits in Post-Embargo World

March 25, 2010
Cuba Ready for U.S. Tourists If Travel Ban Ends, Minister Says

March 9, 2010
US lifts web sanctions on Cuba, Iran and Sudan

February 24, 2010
The Peterson-Moran legislation introduced Wednesday should boost farm exports and travel to Cuba and provide concrete benefits to the Cuban people.

February 23, 2010
Chairman Peterson Introduces Legislation to Expand Agriculture Exports to Cuba

April 13, 2009
Obama Opens Door to Cuba, but Only a Crack

Obama Administration Changes to “Family Travel” Restrictions
In March 2009, the Obama administration announced a roll-back of the restrictions on family-related travel and several months later, the Department of Treasury promulgated new regulations.  The changes stopped short of lifting the travel ban in its entirety, and the restrictions on general travel to Cuba remain in effect. The new administration has not taken steps to annul the penalties previously imposed against individuals as part of the travel ban.

Know Before You Go
CCR publishes this free guide for travelers. Updated in September 2009, Know Before You Go: Restrictions on Travel to Cuba reflects the new federal regulations regarding “family travel” to Cuba. Learn more and download the guide here.

Cuba Travel Hotline
The Center maintains an informational hotline where members of the public can call with questions pre or post travel to Cuba.  If you have questions about the travel embargo, you can call or email Ian Head at: (212) 614-6470 and ihead at ccrjustice dot org.

Wall of Lawyers Network
In cooperation with the Cuba Subcommittee of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), the Center created and maintains the "Wall of Lawyers" Network.  The Wall of Lawyers Network consists of attorneys throughout the country trained by the Center and the NLG to handle Cuba travel civil penalty cases at pro-bono or reduced rates. As part of this project, the Center and the NLG maintain a legal brief bank and distribute updated training memos. If you are in need of an attorney or are an attorney and interested in joining our Wall of Lawyers Network, please call or email Ian Head at: (212) 614-6470 and ihead at ccrjustice dot org.