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Essentially is a hangover from the Cold War. Nobody really supports it (or the embargo of Cuba) any longer but it can't be changed without appearing soft on Communism.
It is easy to oppose such measures against new countries, harder to actually stand up and say they should be abolished against existing dictators.
Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians also had a period where, if they could get here, they were pretty much summarily granted asylum. East Europeans and Russians who managed to defect were also summarily granted asylum. The hook on which these asylum claims is made is that merely the act of trying to leave your home country is grounds for execution if you're returned.
If Vicente Fox started firing squads for any nationals returned by the United States then things might change.
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