Thread: Cuban migrant arrivals overwhelm federal immigration officials in the Florida Keys

Cuban migrant arrivals overwhelm federal immigration officials in the Florida Keys



David Goodhue, Pedro Portal
Mon, January 2, 2023 at 12:21 PM EST



So many people from Cuba are arriving in the Florida Keys that days could go by before federal officials are able to pick up migrants on the side of U.S. 1 to be processed, according to local law enforcement.

Since Friday, more than 500 Cubans arrived in the island chain.

So many landed in a group of sparsely inhabited islands off Key West that the federal government was forced to close the Dry Tortugas National Park on Sunday.

The situation is frustrating local officials. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay issued a statement Monday calling the scenes playing out on the sides of the Keys’ only major highway a “federal failure” that is “creating a humanitarian crisis.

“This shows a lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable,” Ramsay said.

Two groups of migrants — one with 19 people, the other with 12 — stood in the sun on the side of U.S. 1 in the Middle Keys island of Duck Key Monday morning.

By noon, they said they have been standing there waiting to be picked up by U.S. Border Patrol agents since arriving in two rustic vessels at 2:30 a.m.







Members of two groups of Cuban migrants from Matanzas — one with 19 people, the other with 12 — stand in the sun on the side of U.S. 1 in the Middle Keys island of Duck Key Monday morning. By noon, they said they have been standing there waiting to be picked up by U.S. Border Patrol agents since arriving in two rustic vessels at 2:30 a.m. on January 2, 2023.More

The de facto leader of the groups, 22-year-old Jorge Yunier Cepa, stood beside the mangroves wearing a compass around his neck that he used to navigate the dangerous journey from Matanzas, Cuba, three days earlier.

“When we left, it was easier, but as we got closer, it got rough,” he said.

Even though there was no indication on when Border Patrol officials would arrive, plenty of locals stopped by, dropping off food, water and sodas. Others honked their car horns as they drove past in support of the recent arrivals.






Jorge Yunier Cepa Sanchez, 22, displays the compass he used to lead one of two groups of Cuban migrants from Matanzas — one with 19 people, the other with 12 — that were standing in the sun on the side of U.S. 1 in the Middle Keys island of Duck Key Monday morning.

By noon, they said they have been standing there waiting to be picked up by U.S. Border Patrol agents since arriving in two rustic vessels at 2:30 a.m. on January 2, 2023.

Emily Barrera, 18, and her mother, Julia Naranjo, 43, have helped several groups of migrants since the mass arrivals began days earlier. On Monday, they dropped off two cases of soda.

“I feel bad for them, so we just decided to help them,” Barrera said. “Saturday, we helped some from Key Colony Beach. Then in Layton, Key Largo and Sombrero Beach.”






Members of two groups of Cuban migrants from Matanzas that arrived at 2:00 AM— one with 19 people, the other with 12 — stand in the sun on the side of U.S. 1 in the Middle Keys island of Duck Key Monday morning. By noon, they said they have been standing there waiting to be picked up by U.S. Border Patrol agents since arriving in two rustic vessels at 2:30 a.m. on January 02, 2023

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This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.



https://www.yahoo.com/news/cuban-mig...172105421.html

Where is Governor DeSantis!!!!

Why doesn't he have boats out there to stop them before they get to our shores!

Tow them back!