Summary

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Source: US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

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FLORIDA IMMIGRATION CUBA



#NEWS: FL/Over 100 migrants land in Tavernier Key

From CNN's Devon M Sayers & Melissa Alonso

A vessel with over 100 migrants landed in Tavernier Key, part of the Florida Keys this morning, US Customs and Border Protection Florida said Thursday in a tweet

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed an executive order on January 6th activating the Florida National Guard and directing state law enforcement agencies to provide resources to help local governments with an influx of migrants in the Florida Keys The order is scheduled to expire in March

“These voyages are dangerous and not recommended,” the CBP said

A spokesperson for CBP said no additional details were available at this time

Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputies were called at about 7:15aET and assisted federal authorities, providing additional resources including medical assistance and perimeter security, MCSO spokesperson Adam Linhardt told CNN

CNN Images: S196962897 // S196962893
Source: US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Previous Alert Follows

From: Nottingham, Shawn <shawnnottingham@warnermediacom>
Date: Friday, January 6, 2023 at 4:07 PM
To: *CNNNationalUrgentAlert <CNNNationalUrgentAlert@turnercom>
Subject: #NEWS: FL / Governor Ron DeSantis signs executive order activating national guard due to the influx of migrants in the Florida Keys
#NEWS: FL / Governor Ron DeSantis signs executive order activating national guard due to the influx of migrants in the Florida Keys

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed an executive order on Friday activating the Florida National Guard and directing state law enforcement agencies to provide resources to help local governments with an influx of migrants in the Florida Keys, his office said in a press release

Critical of President Joe Biden, DeSantis said in the release, “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”

Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys has been temporarily closed to the public as of earlier this week, as CNN previously reported

On New Year's Day alone, over 160 migrants were encountered in the Florida Keys, according to a series of tweets from Walter N Slosar, a US Border Patrol chief patrol agent There were about 88 migrants encountered in the area on New Year's Eve, said Slosar

This is not the first time DeSantis has used his executive powers regarding the migrant situation

Last year, he deployed Florida law enforcement to Texas to provide additional support at the border there

CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed to this report

Previous Alert Follows

#News: FL/US Customs and Border Protection deploys resources to help with FL migrant surge

From CNN’s Pricilla Alvarez
SSA: Antoine Sanfuentes

US Customs and Border Protection is deploying medical resources, processors, and agents to south Florida amid a surge of migration from Cuba and Haiti, according to a Homeland Security official

Authorities in south Florida have been grappling with an increase in migrants arriving to their shores for months Since Oct 1, 2022, the US Border Patrol Miami Sector has experienced a 400% increase in migrant encounters, BP Chief Patrol Agent Walter Slosar said in a tweet CBP also deployed additional agents to the sector last year to respond to the influx

The recent surge in migrants landing in the Florida Keys and lengthy federal processing procedures are creating a humanitarian crisis, according to The Monroe County, Florida Sheriff's Office

Administration officials have similarly acknowledged the growing number of migrants arriving by sea in the region “We're also seeing a surge in maritime migration from Cuba and Haiti which is putting migrants in dangerous situations on the high seas and also straining our US Coast Guard resources,” an official told reporters Thursday

Previous reporting follows

#NEWS: FL/Hundreds of migrants moved off Dry Tortugas into BP custody as agents intercept over 100 more in Key Largo

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Hundreds of migrants are now being transferred from Dry Tortugas National Park to the US Border Patrol (BP) station in Key West, a US Coast Guard spokesperson told CNN Thursday afternoon

On Wednesday, Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) - Southeast officials said that all remaining migrants on Dry Tortugas had been removed from the island and housed on a USCG cutter for today's transfer—about 70 miles away

A total of 337 migrants were removed from the island—which does not include 90 migrants previously removed by USCG, according to HSTF

CBP officials will now process the migrants and determine their legal status

While this large group has been removed from the remote island, federal officials continue to intercept migrant vessels carrying dozens of people near the Florida Keys

On Wednesday, BP agents encountered over 130 #Haitian migrants in Key Largo #Florida The migrants arrived on an overloaded sailing vessel and were packed in the lower deck, said the agency in a tweet

These voyages are dangerous and potentially deadly, said the tweet

CNN has reached out to a national park spokesperson for details on when the park will reopen


Previous reporting

#NEWS: FL/Federal officials plan to remove hundreds of migrants still on Dry Tortuga by today, USCG says

From CNN's Leya Santiago and Sara Weisfeldt in Florida

US Coast Guard personnel have removed 90 migrants from the Dry Tortugas National Park as of Tuesday and expect to remove the hundreds of migrants still there today, according to Lt Cmdr John William Beal, public affairs officer for the Seventh Coast Guard District and for Homeland Security Task Force Southeast

There are less than 300 migrants still remaining on Dry Tortugas, which will be transferred to US Border Patrol custody in Key West on Wednesday, Beal said in a tweet

From there, they will be transported for processing by regional US Border Patrol stations to determine their legal status to remain in the United States or be processed for removal and repatriation to their country of origin, said Rear Adm Brendan C McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District and director of Homeland Security Task Force Southeast

Authorities are providing food and shelter to the stranded migrants in the meantime, said Beal

It's unclear when the national park will reopen

CNN's Melissa Alonso contributed to this alert

Previous reporting

#NEWS: FL/Federal, local authorities in Florida Keys respond to the mass migration crisis in the Keys, sheriff says

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

A recent surge in migrants landing in the Florida Keys and lengthy federal processing procedures are creating a humanitarian crisis, according to the Monroe County, Florida Sheriff's Office (MCSO)

The MCSO has been assisting federal law enforcement agents with a spike in Cuban refugee arrivals since Saturday and continuing into Monday morning, the agency said in a statement Monday

Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys has been closed to the public since Monday due to the influx of migrants from Cuba, CNN has reported

Haitian and Cuban migrants' encounters near Florida have continued to rise in record numbers since last year
Since Oct 1, 2022, the US Border Patrol Miami Sector has experienced a 400% increase in migrant encounters, according to BP Chief Patrol Agent Walter N Solsar

“Residents may see an increased amount of law enforcement and emergency responders throughout the county as we continue to respond to these landings, said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay in Monday's statement

“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 Ramsay

More than 160 refugees have landed mostly in the Middle and Upper Keys, as well as many as 300 in the Dry Tortugas and Marquesas Keys, said MCSO
According to the MCSO statement, the agency has been told by the US 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
The recent surge in migrant encounters has impacted Florida's cruises in recent days as well

The crew on board Carnival Cruise Line's Celebration ship rescued five migrants in distress on a small vessel 25 nautical miles northwest of Cuba Monday, according to a company statement

The ship's crew spotted the five people and as is customary, stopped to help them, a Carnival spokesperson told CNN

After rescuing the five people adrift at sea, the ship’s crew coordinated with United States Coast Guard officials and rendezvoused with them near Key West, said Carnival

The ship resumed on its voyage with its scheduled itinerary unaffected and Carnival Celebration returned to Miami on Tuesday morning, according to Carnival

Crews on a Celebrity Cruises ship made a migrant rescue of their own on the same day while passing Cuba on its way back to Fort Lauderdale, according to CNN affiliate WPLG
Video of the rescue posted on the verified Instagram account of the ship's captain shows a small vessel carrying 19 people approaching the cruise ship at sunset

Since Oct 1, 2022, Coast Guard crews interdicted 4,153 Cubans compared to:
• 6,182 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2022
• 838 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2021
• 49 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2020
• 313 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2019
• 259 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2018
• 1,468 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2017
• 5,396 Cuban Migrants in Fiscal Year 2016

CNN has reached out to Celebrity for a statement CNN is working to clear the migrant cruise video and will alert once available


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Source: US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

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FLORIDA IMMIGRATION CUBA