CCR Annual Report 2005 - Center for Constitutional Rights

CCR v Travel Embargo
For decades, U.S. policy has been to isolate Cuba from the rest of the world. One glaring
example of this policy is the Cuba travel embargo. This embargo is detrimental not only
to the Cuban people: it is a deliberate denial of the First Amendment guarantees of
freedom to travel for all Americans. CCR’s Cuba Travel Project is the only institutional
effort to defend Americans who exercise this basic constitutional right.
While providing ongoing legal defense for our clients and legal information to the
general public, CCR continues to develop legal strategies to challenge various aspects of
the embargo in the hopes of ultimately dismantling this illogical and unconstitutional
policy. Americans should be allowed to travel where they please without interference by
the State Department, and they should not fear exorbitant fines from the government for
exercising their right to travel.
CCR provides pre-departure information to thousands of travelers, helping them understand
how to comply with the law while they visit Cuba. We also represent over 150
individuals accused of violating the embargo — the balance remaining of 430 clients,
most of whose cases have been settled or dismissed. For years, these individuals have
had the threat of steep penalties hanging over their heads because the government
refused to appoint administrative law judges to hold hearings where the travelers would
have the opportunity to defend themselves. The government did not appoint judges to
hear these cases until a year and a half ago – eleven years after Congress mandated that
hearings be made available. CCR has defended our clients at three of the five Cuba
hearings that have so far taken place, and we will appeal the results of those cases to the
highest possible level to defend the right of Americans to travel where they choose
without the interference of the Bush Administration or anyone else.
CUBA
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