Immigration News 2015: U.S., Cuba Remain At Odds Over Immigration Policy

American and Cuban officials remained deeply at odds over the exodus of Cubans to the United States during the first day of high-level talks in Havana on Wednesday.

Despite clashing over immigration policies, both sides claimed to have a productive and constructive meeting during the first day of the historic talks, which aimed to restore diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"The productive and collaborative nature of today's discussion proves that despite the clear differences that remain between our countries, the United States and Cuba can find opportunities to advance our mutually shared interests," U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Alex Lee said after the talks.

Josefina Vidal, the head of the Cuban foreign ministry's U.S. Affairs Department, expressed hope that the talks would allow Cuba to have a normal relationship with the United States, especially in the area of migration.

The migration talks tackled an issue that has vexed both nations for years, with Cubans regularly hopping on flimsy boats just get to Florida.

Current U.S. policy gives Cubans, who set foot in the United States, quick access to permanent residency while those caught at sea are deported back home.

This has caused a surge of Cuban migrants, who apparently fear that the U.S.-Cuba negotiations will end this policy.

In 2014, the United States intercepted a total of 3,722 Cubans at sea, which was twice as much as the number recorded in 2012.

Lee said the Obama administration is "completely committed" to upholding the current rules, promising to continue granting safe haven to Cubans with special protections, which is usually denied to other nationalities.

Vidal slammed this U.S. migration policy, which she said violates a bilateral agreement to promote safe, legal, and orderly immigration. She also criticized the Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program for encouraging Cuban doctors and nurses to defect to the United States. "This is a policy which is totally inconsistent with the present bilateral context," she said, describing it as a "reprehensible brain drain practice."

The talks will resume again on Thursday to tackle the topic of restoring diplomatic relations, which both sides hope would pave the way for the discussion on full trade and travel ties.

The meetings are being held after U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced last Dec. 17 that they would work to restore diplomatic ties.