TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The U.S. Coast Guard said the risk posed to migrants arriving in the U.S. by water is “immeasurable” for most U.S. citizens. More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since January 6, according to new data from the Florida Department of Emergency Management.
From inclement weather and the risk of drowning to the “general unpredictability” of water travel, the USCG said people coming to the U.S. use boats to leave their home countries in dangerous conditions, ignoring the real risks. said.
Stopping immigration is one of 11 tasks assigned to the USCG by Congress, according to officials, allowing military service to “take the lead” during an “ongoing and historic immigration surge.” to
To accomplish this, the Department of Homeland Security established a Security Task Force in 2003, and in 2004, Operation Vigilance Sentry was launched with a focus on the Caribbean Corridor. The goal of Operation Vigilant Sentry is to “safeguard life at sea and work with federal, state and local partners to deter and discourage large-scale movements at sea.”
By 2023, surges in immigration from Cuba, Haiti, and elsewhere into areas such as the Florida Keys will result in “an influx of people forced from their homes to escape poverty, violence, trafficking, and persecution. It has become a reality.” Rey Caro, Intelligence Director of Command Operations.
“The frequency of these challenges is certainly increasing. Politics, migration policies and natural disasters are amplifying these realities and triggering migration,” said Kallo.
On January 6th, Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida National Guard via executive order to respond to the immigration surge. FDEM is working with the Florida National Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol to respond and “enhance coastal vigilance” amid ongoing immigration efforts.
The Florida Emergency Management Agency mobilized in early January against what state officials are calling an influx of migrants arriving in the Florida Keys. As of Jan. 26, the FDEM said 152 migrant ships had been removed from the Dry Tortugas and Lower Quays and found washing ashore with 146 packages of cocaine worth $2.3 million.
WFLA.com reached out to Florida officials to get an update on the immigration surge in Florida. The agency said more than 1,060 people have been arrested since DeSantis signed an order declaring a state of emergency “in response to an influx of migrant activity along Florida’s coastline.”
The response to the influx of immigrants has been a combination of federal and state efforts, but the two levels of government involved have challenged each other’s approaches to the problem.
Nonetheless, migrants are still coming, with hundreds already making or landing in the Florida Keys in early January, and more continuing to arrive. He said migrants would come even if they were on board, overcrowded, or had no real boats to land.
“These individuals are ignoring the real risks,” said Matthew James, commander of Coast Guard Station Islamorada. “Nearly all the ships encountered on these voyages were randomly constructed of improvised materials and kept on the water. The few ships that appeared to be well built were dangerously overloaded. and capsize was imminent when we arrived at the scene.Attempting to cross the Florida Strait in this manner is extremely dangerous.”
White House press secretary Carine Jean-Pierre has repeatedly criticized DeSantis and Florida’s response, calling it more of a political stunt than a solution. Blaming the Biden administration’s policy mandate, DeSantis said the federal response was “incompetent.”
The USCG said it has already blocked more than 7,000 immigrants since the new fiscal year began in October 2022.
A clearer picture of border crossings and interceptions in early 2023 will be available in February in the January monthly report from US Customs and Border Protection.
