WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez (FL-28), who represents South Florida and the Florida Keys, sounded the alarm on the ongoing crisis at our border. At approximately 4:00AM, our brave men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol responded to a migrant boat spotted in Key West, FL. Upon arriving at the scene, federal agents worked with state and local authorities to investigate the migrant boat which included 118 illegal Haitian migrants aboard.
The political unrest and rampant violence in Haiti have created the conditions for another mass migration surge that is directly impacting South Florida. Rep. Gimenez will continue to work closely with federal, state, and local authorities to ensure the safety of our community.
“Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse three years ago, the Biden Administration stood idly by while Haiti descended into chaos,” said Rep. Carlos Giménez. “As the Representative for the Florida Keys, the security of our community is at risk of another mass migration event from Haiti due to the rampant gang violence and the mass release of thousands of violent criminals from the country’s jails. Florida is a border state & this vessel carrying 118 Haitian nationals is just the latest example of how Biden’s border crisis is impacting communities across the nation. I demand the Biden Administration implement a comprehensive strategy to address the unrest in Haiti and prevent this security crisis from impacting South Florida families.”
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Congressman Carlos Giménez represents Miami-Dade County and the beautiful Florida Keys. He is the only Cuban-born Member of the 118th Congress, having fled his homeland shortly after the Communist takeover of the island. He is the first career firefighter paramedic elected to the House of Representatives and served as the former Fire Chief of the City of Miami and Mayor of Miami-Dade County. He serves as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, the Armed Services Committee, and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.