MIAMI, Fla. — In March, US Customs and Border Protection reported more than 23 thousand migrant encounters in South Florida. While officials said encounters have gotten less frequent, on Monday, those enjoying Miami’s beaches witnessed a smuggling event take to shore.
“It was like okay, something is going on,” shared Detroit resident Marvin Bahoura.
Bahoura stated he saw three helicopters outside of his hotel and went outside to find four migrants swimming to shore.
“It was shocking. Am I really seeing this besides the news?” He shared, “They didn’t have lifejackets or anything, so that was probably scary. You don’t know what situations they are in, so who knows.”
CBP reported that Monday morning, four Chinese migrants were dropped off by a boat and came to shore, only to be met with officials who put them in handcuffs.
The four have been taken to Dania Beach and have been interviewed and processed for removal. Hours later, CBP said the total of migrants found was 10. The boat that dropped them off has still not been found.
While migrant arrivals from China are not as common in Florida, they do happen. Last week, on the heels of Title 42 ending and Title 8 being re-instated, a CBP official told me agents interdicted 29 individuals from China, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic, all near Miami’s shores.
There was a surge in migrant landings at the start of this year, but for the last several weeks, maritime landings have been relatively quiet and officials want it to stay that way.
The US Coast Guard sent out an alert reminding those who are looking to come to the US by sea that Title 42 ending hasn’t changed its policies.
Those “interdicted at sea will be immediately repatriated,” the alert read. It furthered that those who reach our shores “will be subject to expedited removal, and those who do not qualify for protection will be expeditiously removed with at least a five-year bar on returning to the United States.”
The alert also shared that any Cuban or Haitian found at sea will not be able to use the lawful parole process of staying with an eligible sponsor.
