Border Patrol agents stopped more than 100 illegal Haitian migrants in Florida on Wednesday as they tried to cross into the United States, renewing concerns about an often-hidden part of the ongoing migration crisis.
“At approximately 4 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents, assisted by federal, state and local law enforcement, responded to a migrant landing and encountered 118 Haitian migrants,” said Miami Sector Chief Patrol Agent Samuel Briggs. The incident occurred in Key West.
This is the latest arrest by authorities of people attempting to cross by boat into the U.S. Earlier this month, 305 people from Haiti and the Bahamas were arrested by the Coast Guard, part of an operation that apprehended nearly 12,000 migrants in fiscal year 2023.
Homeland Security warns illegal Haitian immigrants arriving by boat face ‘immediate deportation’
June 26, 2024: A boat carrying more than 100 migrants is intercepted in Florida.
Haiti has been in a state of unrest since earlier this year, when gangs attacked prisons, burned police stations and seized control of the capital, but authorities have stepped up their presence amid fears it could encourage more people to travel by boat.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis The government announced in March that it would deploy soldiers, officers, aircraft and ships to “protect” the state from boats carrying illegal immigrants.
“In light of the situation in Haiti, I have directed the Office of Emergency Management, the Florida National Guard and state law enforcement agencies to deploy more than 250 officers and soldiers and more than a dozen aircraft and vessels to the south coast of Florida to protect the state of Florida,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also taken a tough stance, stating that illegal immigrants will be deported.
“U.S. policy is to deport foreign nationals who are not under threat of persecution or torture and who have no legal basis for entry to the United States. Those detained at sea are immediately deported, in accordance with long-standing policies and procedures,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital in March. “The United States has previously deported or repatriated migrants detained at sea to the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti.”
However, the Department of Homeland Security stressed that migration flows through the Caribbean remain low.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced in March that he would deploy soldiers, police, aircraft and ships to “protect” the state from boats carrying illegal immigrants. (Governor Ron DeSantis/FB)
Amid Haiti unrest, Governor DeSantis sends troops and planes to “protect” Florida from illegal immigrant boats
“All illegal migration journeys, especially by sea, are extremely dangerous, unforgiving and often result in loss of life. The Department of Homeland Security will continue to enforce U.S. laws and policies in the Straits of Florida and throughout the Caribbean,” the spokesperson said.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that this was the latest example of the impact of the border crisis and called on the administration to implement a strategy to address the Haiti crisis, arguing that the administration has stood by while the country descended into “chaos.”
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“As a representative of the Florida Keys, the safety of our communities is at risk from new mass immigration from Haiti, rampant gang violence and the mass release of thousands of violent criminals from our nation’s prisons,” he said.
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“Florida is a border state, and this boat carrying 118 Haitian nationals is just the latest example of how Biden’s border crisis is impacting communities across the country. I call on the Biden Administration to implement a comprehensive strategy to address the unrest in Haiti and prevent this security crisis from impacting South Florida families.”
