Nearly 400 Haitian migrants detained near Bahamas

Published Jan. 23, 2023, 12:24 p.m. ET | Updated Jan. 23, 2023

Nearly 400 migrants aboard a 50-foot vessel which was stopped in the Bahamas.
Nearly 400 migrants aboard a 50-foot vessel which was stopped in the Bahamas.

BAHAMAS (FLV) – The U.S. Coast Guard detained a 50-foot boat carrying 396 Haitian migrants near the Bahamas, according to reports.

On Sunday, officials said the migrants were detained close to the far-flung Cay Sal island located between Florida and Cuba.

This incident was one of the biggest human smuggling incidents in the region, Bahamian officials said.

“It was grossly overloaded and very much unsafe,” according to Nicole Groll with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Recently, the Biden administration announced that it would start turning back Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans at the border who arrive illegally.

The administration is now offering humanitarian parole for 30,000 people a month from those countries if they secure a financial sponsor, apply online and pay their airfare.

Cubans and Haitians who enter by sea will be placed in removal proceedings and will be ineligible for the parole process as a result.

Despite the announcement, Florida has seen an influx of migrants coming from Cuba and other countries.

The Coast Guard has reported in one week alone that crews repatriated 907 migrants to Cuba and Haiti and stopped an additional 239 migrants at sea from January 6 to January 13.

The influx of migrants has been reported since early January.

Gov. Ron DeSantis previously signed an executive order to direct state agencies to provide local governments resources for handling the situation.

“As the negative impacts of Biden’s lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administration’s failure falls on local law enforcement who lack the resources to deal with the crisis,” DeSantis said.

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay previously said he believes the federal government has failed to address the migrant surge.

“First and foremost, I think the Governor is doing a great job. It’s his job to protect the citizens and visitors in Florida and make sure Florida is safe, so his actions are definitely are appropriate. He’s doing what he needs to do because, I believe, the federal government has failed in this aspect,” Ramsay said.

“Immigration is the responsibility of the federal government. They’ve had plans and policies in place that they have not been following.”

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