Governor Ron DeSantis deploys hundreds of officers to stave off potential influx of Haitian refugees

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced he’s directed more than 250 additional officers and soldiers from the Florida State Guard, Division of Emergency Management, and other state law enforcement agencies to southern Florida and the keys to stop Haitian migrants from arriving on shore.

"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 governor said. 

The situation in Haiti has quickly spiraled out of control. According to the U.N., armed gangs now control more than 80-percent of Port-au-Prince. The gangs have burned police stations, government buildings, homes, and taken over control of the country’s ports and airports, blocking anyone from entering or attempting to leave, Haiti. 

On Tuesday, the Department of Defense warned of the possibility of mass migration to Florida as desperate Haitians attempt to flee for safety. Thus far, the agency reports it has not yet seen large numbers of migrants attempting to make the dangerous, 700-mile maritime journey. 

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"Currently, no, there’s nothing out of the ordinary," said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Stephen Lehmann in Miami. "We have resources in the area and standing by if we do see an influx."

The Coast Guard has repatriated 131 migrants found at sea to Haiti since Oct. 1, including 65 on Tuesday who were found on a boat near the Bahamas last week, according to a news release.

DeSantis made immigration one of his top themes during his failed campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. He has boasted about using millions in state money to fly migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to California, and to fly Venezuelan migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, under a program he pushed through the state Legislature.

Haitians have been migrating to the U.S. in large numbers for several years, many having left their Caribbean nation after a devastating 2010 earthquake.

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In recent days, Haiti has witnessed a series of gang attacks that have paralyzed the country, forcing thousands of people from their homes, especially in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, where the port and airport remain closed. The armed gangs seized power in much of Port-au-Prince following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and now control about 80% of the city.

The U.N. food agency reported Tuesday that 4 million people face "acute food insecurity" and 1 million are one step away from famine.

After an intense session of international diplomacy, a group of Caribbean nations and the United States announced Tuesday that Haiti’s best hope for calming violence rests with the creation of a presidential council of influential figures who would elected an interim prime minister and open the pathway for presidential elections. Some Haitian political parties have rejected the plan.

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