DeSantis sending officers, aircraft, ships to southern Florida to curb potential wave of Haiti immigrants

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Florida will deploy additional law enforcement resources to the southern regions of the state in anticipation of a possible wave of Haitian migrants as the Caribbean country struggles amid street violence and political instability.

More than 200 additional state law enforcement officers and about 50 National Guard members will be deployed to South Florida and the Keys, DeSantis said, alongside more than a dozen aircraft and ships. 

“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,” DeSantis said in a statement. “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.”

The response comes as violence remains rampant on the streets of Port-au-Prince. As much as 80 percent of the capital is under the control of gangs, according to the United Nations, and about 3,500 of the city’s prisoners have been released after organized breakouts.

The Biden administration has floated using Guantanamo Bay as a migrant processing center for Haitians interdicted at sea during the dangerous 700-mile journey to Florida, CNN reported Wednesday. The same processing center was used for Haitians fleeing the country after devastating 2010 earthquakes.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he will resign, endorsing a U.S.-backed plan for a transitional government that has come under fire from Haitian politicians.

The U.S. also announced $300 million in funding for a Kenyan-led multinational security force last week, which allies hope can quell the gang violence. The U.S. government has urged all Americans to leave Haiti, evacuated the U.S. Embassy last week, and deployed a group of Marines to protect it.

The security plan was enacted by a United Nations Security Council resolution last year but remains delayed due to Henry’s resignation and ongoing political instability.