14ymedio, Havana, April 16, 2024 — The United States Border Patrol recorded the arrival in Florida of 47 Cuban rafters between April 4 and 15. On Monday, the Coast Guard intercepted 19 migrants from the Island and handed them over for their deportation process, according to social networks.
The US authorities told the rafters that they would be returned to their country of origin. Similarly, they “they will not be able to enter the United States for a period of five years, in addition to not being eligible to apply for asylum.”
The raft was detected in an overflight by the authorities who patrol by air to “deter” migration. Last March, the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, ordered the deployment of 250 police officers and soldiers to the Florida Keys to arrest the rafters, mainly Haitians fleeing the violence.
“We do not tolerate illegal immigration, much less anarchy at the hands of illegal foreigners,” said Ron DeSantis
In that same month, DeSantis signed projects that tighten penalties against migrants. For example, law SB 1036, which increases prison sentences for people convicted of serious crimes after having been deported for illegal entry; law HB 1589, which prohibits irregular foreigners from obtaining a driving license, and law HB 1451, which prevents counties and municipalities in Florida from accepting identification cards issued by other jurisdictions to irregular foreigners.
“We do not tolerate illegal immigration, much less anarchy at the hands of illegal foreigners who, in the first place, should not be here,” the Republican said.
Between January and the first week of April, the acting head of the Border Patrol of the Miami Sector, Samuel Briggs, documented the arrival of 83 rafters. On his social networks he reported a group of 24 migrants from the Island who landed on March 19 in Duck Key, in Monroe County, Florida. Another contingent of 20 Cubans landed on the last day of February in the Florida Keys, while 25 more made landfall in January in Biscayne National Park.
The Governments of Havana and Washington have a bilateral agreement for all migrants arriving by sea to U.S. territory to be returned to the Island, and since April 2023 they resumed deportation flights for “inadmissible” people detained on the border with Mexico.
Translated by Regina Anavy
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
