A Honduran tells the newspaper ‘La Nación’ that migrants from Florida have stopped going to work for fear of being detained

14ymedio, Havana, 30 January 2025 — The United States Coast Guard deported 12 Cuban rafters on the Isaac Mayo ship on Wednesday, who were prosecuted after the interception of two boats. “Anyone who tries to enter the United States illegally by sea will be repatriated,” the agency stressed in a statement.
The US authorities specified that on January 19, a group of five Cubans on a foreign raft was detected 21 miles from Kayo Largo, during the overflight of an aircraft belonging to the Customs and Maritime Air and Maritime Operations team. The migrants were intercepted by the coast guard cutter Charles David, which after providing medical care handed them over to the Border Patrol for deportation.
A second contingent of seven Cubans on a “damaged boat” was located 50 miles southwest of Cuba, in the Yucatan Pass. The rafters were assisted by the crew of the Coast Guard ship Reliance.
Lieutenant Commander John Beal said that the Coast Guard “has increased its presence in the Florida Straits, the Windward Pass and the Mona Pass to prevent attempts at illegal maritime migration before they reach our coasts.”
Lieutenant Commander John Beal said that the Coast Guard “has increased its presence in the Florida Straits
Beal added that as part of the operations, sailors and recreational boat users have been asked to “inform the authorities about illicit maritime activity” through the VHF marine radio on Channel 16. The purpose of the mission is to protect the United States by securing the borders.
Meanwhile, several anti-immigrant operations have been carried out in Florida. According to figures from the Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE), 5,537 people were arrested after raids that occurred between January 23 and 28. In addition, another 4,433 foreigners were transferred to other institutions, including prisons.
“Many people are afraid,” Honduran Eduardo Mature, owner of a property construction and remodeling company, told the Argentine newspaper La Nación. “I have 12 undocumented people working for me, and this week eight of them did not show up. One of the contractors I know in Miami told me that out of his entire work team of 10 people, only the driver came to work.”
Mature said that “before, they made them pay a fine, but now they are afraid that they will be handed over to immigration authorities. The construction project is very, very affected.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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