U.S. President Barack Obama ended Washington's long-standing immigration policy toward Cuba on Jan. 12. The policy, colloquially known as "wet foot, dry foot," grants refuge to Cubans who surrender to U.S. authorities on American soil but repatriates those who are intercepted at sea.

Though the policy was the result of a compromise reached in the 1990s between former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Cuban President Fidel Castro, Havana has criticized it for years. Arguing that it gives Cubans an incentive to emigrate, the Cuban government has repeatedly demanded its repeal. Though Havana has finally gotten its wish, the policy change could still be reversed after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

As of now, it is unclear how the shift will influence the broader changes underway in U.S.-Cuban relations. Washington may have repealed "wet foot, dry foot" as a means of exacting more concessions from Cuba in other areas, but that cannot be confirmed until it becomes clearer how the two countries' ties develop in the months ahead.

Either way, the change in policy will doubtlessly impact migrant flows from Cuba to the United States. Some Cubans who would otherwise have trekked across the U.S.-Mexico border or floated across the Florida Straits will likely remain in Cuba, now that there is no guarantee of residency in the United States. Of course, others will continue to travel through Central America and Mexico to reach the United States, but they will do so at greater risk of apprehension and deportation.