Haiti Refugees; DeSantis Signs New Immigrant Blocks

BoatPhoto byTim WildsmithonUnsplash

Governor DeSantis is getting Florida ready for a possible "wave" of immigration from Haiti fleeing civil unrest. Tessa Petit, who was born and raised in Haiti, now directs the Florida Immigrant Coalition, which is an advocacy group. She said that "Governor DeSantis' response to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti is to classify immigrants as the enemy."

At a news conference where Desantis signed new restrictions on undocumented immigrants in Florida, he said:

"We want to be prepared. I was asked today at our press conference, 'Why are you doing this when there has not actually yet been a massive influx?' I said, 'What are you supposed to do, wait for it to happen?' So, we're putting our assets in place to be able to defend the state."

State Representative Dotie Joseph, who was born in Haiti, calls it political grandstanding. She's one of a number of Haitian-American leaders calling on the governor to help close the flow of guns from Florida that's helping arm gangs on the island. According to a UN report last year, The U.S., and Florida in particular, is the primary source of firearms and ammunition in Haiti.

Dotie Joseph said:

"Seeking asylum or refugee status is not something that is criminal, it's legal. And treating people like criminals with these kind of detention policies, be they at Guantanamo or elsewhere is quite frankly, unacceptable."

There may not even be a large influx of refugees to Florida by water. The boat trip is long, and many immigrants prefer to travel to the U.S. by it's southern border. Florida has a large Hatian community, over a half million people, and has been a primary destination for those who seek to escape the island's poverty, violence, and political turmoil.

Many Hatians are facing a nightmare in what should be a tropical paradise, with empty markets, no food or electricity, and gangs running the streets. Wouldn't any American try to escape as well?