In order to preempt a potential influx of illegal immigration from Haiti as the island nation devolves into chaos and gang violence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has deployed the Florida National Guard and other state assets to the Keys and southern waters of the state for additional security.
Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Monday that he would resign under pressure from armed gangs and looters that have violently seized control over most of the country’s capital city, Port-Au-Prince, and attacked prisons resulting in the freeing of thousands of criminals.
A senior Pentagon official told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the situation in Haiti “could very well press more people [to migrate].”
Jennie Taer, reporting for the New York Post on Tuesday, revealed an internal email between border agents in Miami showing the agency is preparing for a wave of migration from Haiti.
According to the leaked email, Border Patrol expects the Coast Guard not to stop the arrival of migrants into the Florida Keys due to the worsening conditions in Haiti, and that “repatriating Haitians may not be happening for the foreseeable future.”
“The Coast Guard may not be stopping Haitian sail freighter[s],” the email said. “They will just be escorting them into land [ports].”
“For quite some time, the State of Florida has been dedicating significant resources to combat illegal vessels coming to Florida from countries such as Haiti,” Gov. DeSantis said Wednesday.
“Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea craft to the southern coast of Florida to protect our state,” DeSantis continued.
“No state has done more to supplement the (under-resourced) U.S. Coast Guard’s interdiction efforts; we cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida,” he said.
Gov. DeSantis’ directive includes 48 Florida National Guardsmen, over a hundred other law enforcement, aircraft and drones for surveillance, and 133 Florida State Guard soldiers.
The Florida Governor’s Office released the following statement regarding the deployment of state assets Wednesday:
Illegal immigrants feel empowered to enter the sovereign territory of the United States because of the federal government’s refusal to diligently enforce our immigration laws and protect the integrity of the border. When a state faces the possibility of invasion, it has the right and duty to defend its territory and people. Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida will act.
The crisis in Haiti has been punctuated by controversial reports, including video, reportedly showing instances of gang leaders engaging in cannibalism.
More fear mongering
Good for DeSantis.
Did you know the Dominican Republic built a wall to keep Haitians off their side of Hispaniola?
The gangs have broken everyone out of the prisons. Haiti is a failed state.
Allowing all those unvetted people in would bring that chaos here.
We certainly don’t need more illegals.
Another smart proactive move by Desantis. Get ahead of them so they can’t invade the state and turn it into a mess like California and Texas have been.
It is telling when the good states have to confront the invaders from other lands and their own criminal forces from Washington. Vive Florida.