TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday mobilized the state nationwide guard to assist native officers reply to a big inflow of Cuban migrants touchdown within the Florida Keys.
DeSantis, a Republican, activated the Florida National Guard and directed state regulation businesses to help within the Keys by means of an government order in response to the arrival of greater than 700 largely Cuban migrants over the New Year’s weekend alone.
In an announcement, the governor criticized Democratic President Joe Biden and the federal authorities’s immigration insurance policies and response to the migrants touchdown within the Keys.
The governor’s assertion made no point out of the Biden administration’s announcement Thursday of a brand new coverage to begin turning again Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans on the Texas border, together with Venezuelans, who arrive illegally. The administration additionally stated it might supply humanitarian parole for up 30,000 individuals a month from these 4 international locations in the event that they apply on-line, pay their airfare and discover a monetary sponsor.
Some migrants advocates stated that new coverage might worsen the state of affairs in Florida. Ramón Raul Sanchez with the Cuban American group Movimiento Democracia stated much more Cubans could danger their lives by taking to the ocean to succeed in the U.S. as an alternative of flying to Central America and coming to the Texas border by land.
Blas Nuñez Neto, performing Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy within the Department for Homeland Security, stated the brand new program might incentivize Cubans to not come illegally by sea.
He stated Cubans can be higher off making use of beneath the brand new parole program introduced Thursday as a result of that will give them a possible path to residency that they may not in any other case have.
“Do not risk your life at sea” as a result of there are “much better options” beneath the brand new program, he stated.
DeSantis stated Florida will deploy airplanes, helicopter and marine patrols to the realm “to support water interdictions and ensure the safety of migrants attempting to reach Florida through the Florida Straits.”
More than 4,400 migrants, largely Cubans with some Haitians, have arrived by boat in Florida since August as these two international locations face deepening and compounding political and financial crises. Because Washington and Havana don’t have diplomatic relations, it’s problematic for the U.S. authorities to ship Cubans again as soon as they arrive in Florida.
Those who’re stopped at sea are already taken again, since Cuba will settle for these individuals. Almost 8,000 Cubans and Haitians have been intercepted since August — about 50 per day in contrast with 17 per day within the 2021-22 fiscal 12 months and simply two per day in the course of the 2020-21 fiscal 12 months. Officials stated a minimum of 65 migrants have died at sea since August.
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AP reporter Gisela Salomon contributed from Miami.
