Florida is deploying more personnel in the Keys and South Florida waters in preparation for a “potential influx of illegal immigrants from Haiti,” Governor DeSantis announced.
“For quite some time, the State of Florida has been dedicating significant resources to combat illegal vessels arriving in Florida from countries like Haiti,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have ordered the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy more than 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea vessels to South Florida’s coast to protect our state. No state has done more to supplement the U.S. Coast Guard’s interdiction efforts (which are under-resourced); we cannot allow illegal aliens to come to Florida.”
The Florida governor announced the following additional personnel would be deployed:
- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement: 39 additional agents.
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: 23 additional officers with eight additional vessels.
- The Florida National Guard: 48 additional guardsmen with four additional helicopters.
- The Florida Highway Patrol: 30 additional troopers with additional aircraft and drones for surveillance.
The governor also authorized up to 133 Florida State Guard soldiers to the Keys as part of the operation.
DeSantis has a history of targeting undocumented immigrants. In 2022, the Florida governor faced criticism for flying 50 migrants from Texas through Florida to Martha’s Vineyard in a move many called a political stunt.
In 2023, DeSantis signed an immigration bill that included $12 million for more migrant flights, which drew criticism from opponents and calls for investigations into the practice. The U.S. sends troops to bolster security at its embassy in Haiti
Earlier this year, during his failed bid to secure the Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis pledged to mass-deport immigrants if elected president.
“Everyone has to go back. We have to enforce the rule of law in this country,” he stated.
A statement addressing the additional deployments to the Keys said in part: “Illegal immigrants feel empowered to enter the sovereign territory of the United States due to 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 an invasion, it has the right and the duty to defend its territory and its people. Under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida will act.”
Image: Wfla
