Over 100 Haitian Immigrants Intercepted In Florida

Over 100 immigrants from Haiti were intercepted by federal and state law enforcement on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in the Florida Keys. Credit: U.S. Border Patrol

KEY WEST, Florida - Over 100 immigrants from Haiti were intercepted by federal and state law enforcement on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in the Florida Keys.

At approximately 4:00 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents, with support from federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, responded to a migrant landing and encountered 118 Haitian migrants. 

Local EMS personnel also responded to the scene to evaluate the migrants.

In March, Florida Governor Ron Desantis ordered additional state assets to the Keys and southern waters of the State of Florida in anticipation of a potential influx of illegal immigrants from 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,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. 

“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.”

Currently, state agencies have security and surveillance assets in South Florida and the Keys as a part of Operation Vigilant Sentry to stop illegal immigration at sea.