Florida Keys Faces Crisis After Roughly 500 Migrants Land on the Island

The local sheriff's office called the arrival of at least 500 migrants in small boats from Cuba along the Florida Keys a "crisis."

The Associated Press reported that recent migration is fueled by economic uncertainty, food shortages, and rising inflation in Cuba and other Caribbean countries.

About 300 refugees landed in Dry Tortugas National Park over the weekend, a remote area located about 113 kilometers (70 miles) west of Key West.

The park stated that it had to close so that authorities and medical staff could assess the group before transporting them to Key West.

Officials in Florida claimed that over the New Year's weekend, another 160 migrants arrived in the Florida Keys by boat.

On Monday, 30 migrants were discovered in the Middle Keys in two groups.

Situation in Florida Keys Is Caused by 'Federal Failure,' Says Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Republican leaders have expressed concern that if Title 42 were repealed, the United States would be overwhelmed by an influx of asylum seekers.

In the meantime, the administration of President Joe Biden has shown support for ending the program, which breaches the right to a fair hearing, according to those who are against it.

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay stated that the "federal failure" was to blame for the current scenario in the Florida Keys due to the lack of resources to provide for the arriving migrants and refugees.

Ramsay, whose jurisdiction includes the Florida Keys, said that the refugee arrivals take a lot of resources from the Sheriff's Office as they help the federal law enforcement partners guarantee the migrants are in excellent health and safety.

"This shows a lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable," he added.

Asylum seekers from Cuba and other Caribbean nations often head to Key West, Florida, located about 150 kilometers (95 miles) to the north, said Al Jazeera.

There has been a significant economic decline in Cuba recently. As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, the island's tourism industry collapsed. The U.S. embargo dates back to the Cold War era but has yet to be lifted since it strains Cuba's economy.

Based on data collected by the Center for Democracy in the Americas, a non-profit organization in the United States that campaigns against the embargo, the current economic crisis has triggered the biggest influx of Cuban immigrants to the United States.

Florida Keys Locals Help Migrants From Cuba

On Duck Key Island in the Middle Keys, two groups of migrants, one with 12 people and the other with 19, stood in the sunlight on U.S. 1 on Monday morning.

They claimed that since landing in two shabby vessels at 2:30 a.m., they have been waiting to be picked up by U.S. Border Patrol officers as of noon.

Jorge Yunier Cepa Sanchez, 22, who served as the official leader of the groups, stood by the mangroves holding a compass he had used to guide the perilous voyage from Matanzas, Cuba.

Sanchez claimed they left early on January 1. He said it was easy when they left, but it became rough as they got closer.

According to Miami Herald, despite needing more information on the arrival time of Border Patrol agents, many residents dropped off food, water, and sodas.

Others drove by and honked, showing support for the newcomers.

Since the wave of immigration started a few days earlier, mother Julia Naranjo, 43, and daughter Emily Barrera, 18, had assisted multiple groups of migrants. They delivered two cases of soda on Monday.

Barrera said she felt awful for them, so they decided to help them.

"Saturday, we helped some from Key Colony Beach. Then in Layton, Key Largo, and Sombrero Beach," she said.

READ MORE: Is It True That More Than 600,000 Migrants Got Away at US Southern Border?

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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