These policies mark a dramatic reversal from the way many Americans thought about immigrants, refugees, and persons in exile during the 1960s. President Lyndon B. Johnson shifted much of his attention away from overthrowing Castro—although that objective remained a priority for the CIA—toward assisting Cuban refugees who managed to reach the United States. The influx of Cuban refugees was a challenge, however. Rep. Jacob Gilbert, a Democrat from New York, sponsored legislation to grant Cuban refugees a path to permanent status. Among them were individuals with criminal records and others deemed undesirable by the Cuban government, developments that altered public perceptions of Cuban immigrants in parts of the electorate.