Jacob Ogles
If refugees flee Haiti, many could find their way to South Florida. It’s a crisis that has lawmakers from both sides of the aisle seeking immediate attention.
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz pressed Department of Defense officials on the need to deploy the Navy to stop a “Haitian invasion” of South Florida. The Fort Walton Beach Republican asked Rebecca Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, about the issue at a congressional hearing.
“I’ve talked to the Coast Guard, and what they say would really support them would be more naval vessels,” Gaetz said, “because I think you correctly said that there is an anticipated mass migration here, there are specific legal authorities that we can access — that I would implore you to access.”
He specifically cited power granted by a standing executive order issued by President George W. Bush in 2002 that allows the military to intercept migrants in the Caribbean.
Gaetz said he would rather ensure individuals be sent back to Haiti than come to the U.S. or even to American facilities nearby, such as at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
“The Coast Guard folks, they seem to say that we don’t have to go drop these folks off at Gitmo, where they become a burden on the U.S. taxpayer,” Gaetz said. “We can interdict it at sea, and then repatriate directly at Port-au-Prince.”
Army Gen. Laura Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command, who also testified at the hearing, said that would be explored.
“Congressman, we’re doing a number of things to ensure that we’re keeping track of the situation and we’re prepared at the moment,” she said.
“We have not yet seen large numbers, what we would characterize as maritime mass migration. … We are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right, that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people. So we’ve recently approved some additional assistance that we can provide to the Coast Guard. I think that that has now fully been approved. We’ll be providing notifications, if we haven’t already provided shipboard assist.”
Other members of the delegation think refugees must be handled differently. U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat, co-chairs the Haiti Caucus. A Haitian American herself whose parents fled violence on the island, she has long advocated for Haitians to be granted “humanitarian parole.”
But her priority now is on providing stability on the island. She and other leaders of the Haiti Caucus issued a joint call on Monday for Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry to step down. This week, she hosted an event in Fort Lauderdale on the crisis in Haiti.
“The only option you have is going to be either try to get to the border or try to get to the water,” Cherfilus-McCormick said there, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“If you choose to stay in Haiti, then you’re literally looking at whether it is going to be your day. That’s the thought process for every Haitian who’s living in Haiti. If you’re living in Haiti, you’re really wondering: Do I die here or do I risk it all to protect my family?”
She has also said President Joe Biden’s administration needs to treat Haiti with urgency.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, a Miami-Dade Republican, said he hasn’t seen any direction from the administration at all on the state of emergency on the island.
“The Haitian-American community is concerned about the crisis on the island and does not want to see a repeat of the mistakes of the past,” Giménez posted on X. “The Haitian people want democracy, safety, and security — not broken promises.”
Of note, U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, conducted an evacuation of U.S. citizens trapped on the island. He also criticized the administration for acting slowly.
“I have conducted rescue evacs of Americans multiple times when Joe Biden has deserted them. There’s a clear pattern of abandonment,” he posted on X.
The administration just evacuated nonessential staff from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.
But U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, a St. Augustine Republican, said that’s not enough. In the same hearing where Gaetz pressed the Defense Department on the response, he voiced frustration at a “disconnect” between State and Defense when it comes to moving American citizens out of harm’s way. He referenced Mills’ flight from Haiti.
“I was informed last night that the State Department revoked the clearance for these individuals to land in the Dominican Republic,” Waltz said. “The embassy personnel get taken care of. I’m worried about Americans that are trapped in this deteriorating situation.”
Richardson said the Defense Department is preparing to mobilize resources as the situation devolves.
“We have plans ready, Congressman, in terms of a noncombatant evacuation, a NEO (Noncombatant Evacuation Operations) plan, also a mass migration plan that we would establish for Gitmo, and if we get a request from the State Department on Gitmo, we have a plan.”
Waltz stressed the need for Gitmo to prepare very soon for a mass influx of people fleeing Haiti.
Several members of the delegation said they were closely watching evacuations that are happening.
“I am closely monitoring the situation in Haiti and hoping for a safe evacuation of our U.S. Embassy staff and personnel,” U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar posted online. “My office is on alert as the situation develops.”
Giménez sounded alarms generally that the situation demanded more attention all around.
“The situation in Haiti is the largest crisis impacting our region,” he posted on X. “A Haitian-led solution with assistance from regional partners is the only tenable path forward to restore democracy, order, and public safety to the island nation.”
