The Bahamas’ famous crystal clear sea serves as a “spring ground” for illegal immigration to South Florida, experts said.
Fox News Digital spoke with a retired rear adviser who is President Donald Trump’s former homeland security adviser about illegal immigration from the Bahamas to Florida.
“Usually, when you think about maritime migration, you think of Haiti or Cuba, perhaps the Dominican Republic, but the unknown of that equation is the Bahamas,” he said.
“The Bahamas present a special case. Not because Bahamas want to go to the US, but some do, but the Bahamas are a springboard for others who want to arrive in the US.”
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Miami Beach, Florida. (istock)
Brown, commander of Miami’s Coast Guard District 7, said the tropical archipelago serves as a transport point for illegal immigration and human smuggling due to its geography and tourism-friendly policies.
The Bahamas is made up of over 700 islands, only 50 miles from the Florida coastline. The proximity combined with the abundant recreational boat makes it difficult to detect illegal travel, Brown explained.
“In addition, the Bahamas economy is highly dependent on tourism, offering visa-free travel to citizens in 160 countries around the world,” he said.
The availability of visa-free travel is a sharp contrast to the US, which will allow people in just 40 countries to travel without a visa.
“The difference is that the Bahamas offer visa-free travel to people from Russia, Chinese people, Salvador in Guatemala, and from El Salvador in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Jamaica who are from Brazil,” Brown said. “And there are a lot of people in the country who want to come to the US.”
This allows individuals from these countries to legally enter the Bahamas and attempt illegally to enter the United States, he explained.
Mansions and gorgeous yachts along the canal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Todamo/Getty Images)
Arrival Areas in the US
As they left the Bahamas, many migrants targeted the South Florida coastline due to their proximity and the presence of an established immigrant community, Brown said.
He said many will head to Monroe County (Florida Keys), Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Martin County and St. Lucie County.
South Florida counties such as Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach have some of the highest living expenses in the state. Median home prices are above $500,000. Northern parts of Martin and St. Lucie counties are cheaper.
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After reaching the “final line,” Brown explained that often follows a “crime cycle.”
“What happens frequently is that people who pay for immigrant smugglers are already part of the Florida community and are funding their relatives, family or friends to travel to the United States,” he said. “This often involves a form of indentured service where immigrants have to work to pay back the smugglers, creating a cycle of crime that is often unnoticed.”
Vessels used by Cuban immigrants will be intercepted by the US Coast Guard. (US Coast Guard)
He said the Bahamian army also lacks the resources to properly manage the vast maritime areas.
“Their Bahamian defense forces are professional and supportive, especially with the US Coast Guard, but they just don’t have the resources,” he said. “They are equivalent to 12 police cars, boats, to patrol areas the size of California.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Royal Bahamas Defense Forces.
The Bahamian forces are working with the US Coast Guard, allowing agencies to patrol water and airspace for drug and immigration threats.
“That relationship allows us to stop these threats on the Bahamas side of the channel, rather than waiting to get closer to the Florida coast,” he said.
Cooperation with the Bahamas and the United States will help reduce the threat of human smuggling and illegal immigration, but it will not eradicate it.
A report from the US Customs and Border Patrol summarizing the Miamisector’s national immigrant encounters from 2022 to 2025 (as of April 3, 2025).
Read Customs and Border Security Report:
From 2022 to 2024, total migrant encounters in the Miamisect increased from 2,766,582 in 2022 to a peak of 3,201,144 in 2023, and fell slightly in 2024.
As of March 2025, 531,440 encounters have been recorded.
In particular, the report highlights the control of single adult arrests that fit the number of migrants arriving on Florida coastline after crossing a 50-mile stretch between the US and the Bahamas.
Nassau Port, the Lighthouse Protecting the Bahamas (istock)
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Brown, who served as Trump’s special representative for disaster recovery in Puerto Rico, said the best strategy is to stop immigrants from traveling.
“President Trump’s deterrent effect, DHS Secretary [Kristi] Noem, border emperor Tom Homan and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are clear messages that the border is closed. “Illegal immigrants will be captured and repatriated, and the accompanying crimes of human smuggling and human trafficking will be severely charged.”
Brown highlighted the human costs of illegal maritime immigrants and the rationale behind strict border enforcement as a life-saving strategy.
“Thousands of people try, hundreds die, because each year we see multiple people capsize, strand and people drowning,” he said. “And that’s a very unfortunate thing. And the deterrent message actually saves lives.”
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“If deterrents can prevent people from leaving and hiring immigrant smugglers who don’t consider human life, if they can, they can save lives and reduce the number of these dangerous ventures.”
