The incessant landing of migrants in the Keys challenges Florida: the emergency measure to stop them

MIAMI.– An increasing number of migrants from Cuba and Haiti have attempted the dangerous crossing of the Florida Straits. in recent months to illegally enter the Florida Keys and other parts of the state, amid deteriorating economic conditions in their countries, which led the state government to strengthen maritime patrols.

The Florida National Guard announced the mobilization of 12 military planes, patrol boats and about 150 troops to help the authorities in the south of the state to respond to the “massive migration that is affecting the area.”

“We support and follow the orders of our Commander in Chief, Governor Ron DeSantis”the force said in a statement.

The uptick in the arrival of Cuban migrants has been particularly pronounced. Since October 1, 2022, the Coast Guard has intercepted more than 4,900 Cubans at seain comparison with the more than 6,100 Cubans who were intercepted during the entire fiscal year that ended on September 30, according to a Coast Guard news release. And that compares with just over 800 the previous fiscal year.

As recently as Thursday, the United States Coast Guard sent 177 migrants back to Cuba what were they detained at sea off the coast of Floridawhile around about twenty Haitians swam -in their last stretch of the journey- to Miami.

Cuban migrants were intercepted in different operations off the coast a few days ago. They were repatriated on two Coast Guard ships.

In addition, 25 Haitians who had traveled by sailboat from Port-de-Paix, Haiti, swam ashore on Virginia Key, a small islet a short distance southeast of downtown Miami, and were taken into the custody of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP for its initials in English), reported agency spokesman Michael Selva.

Some people present on the beach helped migrants get ashore in small boats and jet skisJungle said.

In addition, federal authorities processed dozens more migrants than they were still on board the sailboat on the high seaswhich usually means that they will be sent back to their countries of origin.

Cubans had long received immigration benefits under the so-called Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966. However, the administration of President Joe Biden recently began implementing a new policy to send back Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who enter the country illegally across the Texas border, as it already did with the Venezuelans.

The federal government is also offering each month some 30,000 conditional humanitarian permits people from those four nations to apply online, pay for their airfare and find a financial sponsor.

Migrants who arrive illegally and do not immediately return to their country of origin will not be eligible for the new conditional permits. Federal authorities hope that this deter arrivals by sea by offering a safer alternative and pathway to residency.

The US embassy in Havana recently resumed processing migrant visas, noting Wednesday that some Cuban applicants had already been accepted for the new permits. In Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, an immigration office has been packed in recent days with people seeking to process their passports for use in the US program.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Mark Cobb said in a statement that with the new legal options available to migrants, “we ask all individuals to use the safe and legal means available to travel to the United States.”

“Don’t risk your life at sea when you don’t have to”he added.

Meanwhile, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantiswhich sent dozens of migrants from Texas to an island off the Massachusetts coast last fall in a high-profile effort to highlight illegal immigration ahead of the midterm elections, took a more cautious approach in This time.

The governor, one of the possible Republican presidential figures, activated the National Guard late last week, but related deployments of soldiers, patrol boats, and military aircraft were slow to materialize. Some residents expressed their frustration over the persistent flow of migrants while recently inspecting two large abandoned boats at a community park in the Florida Keys.

“If they come by boat, they must return by boat”said Ernest Vaile, a Missouri resident who winters in Florida, as he examined the cracked wooden boat, noting that he does not blame DeSantis. “From what I know, whatever DeSantis decides to do is the right thing to do.”

The episode, which takes place in South Florida, offers a glimpse into DeSantis’ leadership as he considers entering a Republican presidential primary campaign against the former president. donald trump. The governor has earned the admiration of many Republican voters across the country by defend hardline conservative policies on highly charged ideological issues – including race, gender and immigration – but as he ponders an announcement of his possible presidential aspirations, DeSantis seems be much more careful about immigration issues in your own backyard.

DeSantis has remained silent on the issue after a state of emergency was declared and the National Guard activated through a press release. His office declined to answer several questions about his stance toward Cuban migrants. In the press release, blamed the Biden administration and offered empathy to Cubansa community that tends to favor Republicans in US elections.

“Florida has a long history of helping refugees, including Cubans and others fleeing communist regimes, find support after they arrive in the United States,” he stated.

Although DeSantis is known for a leadership style similar to Trump’s, his allies say the Harvard-educated former military prosecutor is more adept at dealing with sensitive political issues than the former president.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a rival to Trump during the 2016 campaign and who attended DeSantis’ second inauguration last week, praised him when asked to assess the governor’s approach to hot-button issues like immigration.

“I will say that overall, DeSantis has done a good job as governor and Florida is going from strength to strength,” Bush said.

And on the Cuban immigrant front, DeSantis has avoided some of the fiery rhetoric that defined his conservative view of the situation on the US-Mexico border, at least until now.

Agencies AP and AFP

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