After a promise of quick release many processing setbacks occurred and many refugees remained still detained at the center.
[1] President Jimmy Carter had recently accepted Cuban refugees from the Mariel boatlift to enter the United States.
[2] In May 1980 around 19,000 Cuban refugees from the Mariel boatlift were airlifted to the Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center for immigration processing.
The first 128 Cubans brought to the base by plane were met by a trespassing klansman on the tarmac who warned officials to not let them in, claiming they were criminals.
"[2] As the group of refugees walked to Barling armed citizens, some on horseback, faced down the escapees to stop their movement.
Eduardo Gamarra a Bolivian born refugee re-locator official was brought in to interpret.
[5] Gamarra would recall that later that night the local news would refer to the standoff as a sit-in protest staged by the refugees.
The escapees were forced back into the base and were then tear gassed and clubbed by federal police and soldiers.
[7] After the May 26th standoff People magazine quoted an INS officer claiming that, "85 percent of the refugees are convicts, robbers, murderers, homosexuals, and prostitutes."
The national media defined the character of 127,000 Cubans… people wandered off the base on a hot summer night to stretch their legs, they were scared, nervous, bored, but not about to take on the U.S.
Mayor Jack Freeze of neighboring community Fort Smith noted of the incident "People here decided they didn't want the Cubans before they saw them.