Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the deployment of "over 250 additional officers and soldiers" from the Florida State Guard, Division of Emergency Management and law enforcement agencies to the state's southern coast amidst concern the political situation in Haiti could spark a new wave of illegal immigration.
The Context
Haiti has been wracked by a wave of political instability and gang violence which led to Ariel Henry, the country's president, announcing his intention to resign on Monday. He is currently in Puerto Rico and has been unable to return to Haiti since a trip to Kenya on February 29 due to armed gangs blockading the capital's main airport.
Gangs are estimated to control 80 percent of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The U.S. has evacuated non-essential embassy personnel and is urging American nationals to leave the country.
What We Know
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DeSantis said: "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.
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. Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 13, 2024
"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.
"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."
A White House National Security Council spokesperson told Newsweek the number of illegal migrants reaching the U.S. via the Caribbean is currently low.
Referring to the situation in Haiti they said: "We are clear-eyed that economic, political, and security instability are key drivers for migrants around the world. We are closely monitoring the situation and the routes frequently used by migrants to reach our borders and at this time, irregular migration flows through the Caribbean remain low."
On Tuesday, during a meeting of the House armed services committee, senior government officials warned the situation in Haiti could lead to another migrant surge into the U.S.
Asked whether the situation could lead to "a mass migration" by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, Department of Defense official Rebecca Zimmerman replied "we are alert to that possibility," adding "the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people [to migrate]."
On Friday a Donald Trump-appointed judge ruled against Texas and 20 other Republican-led states who were challenging a Biden administration program that allows as many as 30,000 asylum seekers from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to enter the U.S. each month.
Update 03/13/24, 12:21 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 04/14/24, 3:23 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from a White House National Security Council spokesperson.
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About the writer
James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
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