In the Spring of 1980, Fidel Castro opened Mariel Harbor in Cuba. Over the next few months, more than 125,000 Cubans boarded small boats, heading for Miami. The Institute helped over 300 Mariel Cubans adjust their status to permanent residence. The 1980s also brought a new wave of refugees from Poland, where massive civil disorder and the repression of the Solidarity movement caused Poles to flee the country. The Institute was awarded a grant from the American Council for Nationalities Service to provide employment and English language training services, supporting Eastern European refugees.