St. Lucie sheriff warns of illegal migration in south Florida: ‘undocumented and unvetted’

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. – St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson warned of illegal immigrants entering southern Florida, including in the community that he oversees.

Pearson specifically highlighted how Haitian migrants were traveling to St. Lucie County and how the sheriff’s office was apprehending them and turning them into the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

“Illegal aliens aren’t just flooding across our southern borders, they’re arriving all across south Florida beaches, including right here in St. Lucie County,” he said during a video where his team was actively encountering a migrant vessel.

“They are undocumented and unvetted individuals whom we have no idea what kind of positive or negative impact they could have on the public safety of our community or nation,” Pearson said.

The sheriff explained that his agency works with the Florida Highway Patrol to find illegal immigrants attempting to enter Florida and provide them fresh water and address any medical concerns while they wait for the U.S. Coast Guard to process the individuals.

“The men and women of the St. Lucie County sheriffs office will continue to monitor and assist our federal partners to ensure we protect our borders,” Pearson added.

The sheriff’s office was not able to provide a number of the total estimated apprehensions that law enforcement has made since it is up to the federal government to record the number of processed individuals.

Pearson was appointed by the governor after an abrupt resignation of St. Lucie County’s sheriff in December 2023.