First, these migrants are probably very much the kinds of entrepreneurial people Cuba needs to build a post-communist future. Facilitating their departure just leaves Cuba with less of the human capital that it needs to crawl out of its communist past.

Second, the US doesn’t need or want them. The US is swarming with immigrants and immigrant applications, and adding another 8000 or so isn’t going to help matters.

Third, and most importantly, there is already considerable pressure being put on the Obama administration to deport Central Americans who claim to be fleeing from persecution by the drug gangs there, and opening the gates to thousands of Cubans is certain to increase the pressure to deport the Central Americans. Thus, by welcoming the Cubans, more Central American refugees will probably be sent home to be raped and murdered.

Humanitarianism is a noble motive, but just because someone claims that theirs is a humanitarian motive doesn’t mean that it is. When helping some people harms others, I don’t believe that’s always humanitarian.