Sheriff Says Refugee Crisis in Florida Keys ‘Shows Lack of Working Plan by Federal Government’
KEY WEST (FLV) – Florida Sheriff Rick Ramsay says the federal government doesn’t have a plan after almost 500 refugees from Cuba arrived to the Florida Keys during the weekend.
Officials report more than 160 refugees have landed mostly in the Middle and Upper Keys, as well as many as 300 on the Marquesas Keys and at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.
The Sheriff’s Office has been assisting federal law enforcement agents with the spike in arrivals.
Ramsay says the refugee crisis in the Florida Keys “shows a lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with the mass migration issue that was foreseeable.”
“Refugee arrivals require a lot of resources from the Sheriff’s Office as we help our federal law enforcement partners ensure the migrants are in good health and safe,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay.
The Sheriff’s Office has been told by the U.S. Border Patrol that some migrant landings may have to wait for federal resources to arrive until the following day, aggravating the mass migration crisis in the Keys.
“This federal failure is creating a humanitarian crisis,” said the release.
Ramsay told Fox News that local border patrol agents are ‘overwhelmed.’
“I’m overall worried about the public safety of my citizens in Monroe. This does affect my ability to do my job to protect surf patrol and take care of my citizens,” said Ramsay.
He says residents may see an increased amount of law enforcement and emergency responders throughout the county as they continue to respond to these landings.
If residents see an arrival occurring, they should notify the Sheriff’s Office and report the location.
“The Florida Keys are now being overwhelmed with migrants arriving by boat. And so far the Biden Administration appears to have no plan to address this,” tweeted Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL.
Dry Tortugas National Park had to temporarily close to the public on Monday while law enforcement and medical personnel provide care for the approximately 300 migrants who arrived to the park.
Officials expect the closure to last several days.
