Last week, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its latest figures regarding undocumented migrant encounters in the U.S.
According to the data, 28,903 undocumented migrants were encountered in Florida back in February, which is a slight jump from January’s numbers.
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However, that figure is over 2,200% greater than the number of encounters during that same timeframe in 2021.
The data shows that the greatest number of encounters involved Haitian citizens, though many others hailed from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
In terms of citizenship, the full list of encounters is as follows:
| Citizenship | Encounters |
|---|---|
| Haiti | 10,526 |
| Cuba | 6,559 |
| Venezuela | 4,578 |
| Nicaragua | 4,313 |
| Ukraine | 419 |
| India | 394 |
| Philippines | 204 |
| Colombia | 192 |
| Russia | 65 |
| Myanmar (Burma) | 62 |
| Honduras | 55 |
| Peru | 47 |
| Mexico | 45 |
| Brazil | 42 |
| Ecuador | 39 |
| Guatemala | 31 |
| China | 28 |
| El Salvador | 20 |
| Canada | 11 |
| Romania | 6 |
| Turkey | 3 |
| Other | 1,264 |
Nationwide, the country saw a similar jump in undocumented migrant encounters between January and February.
While still far below the over 370,000 encounters reported in December 2023, the CBP reported approximately 256,000 encounters within the U.S., bringing the total for Fiscal Year 2024 thus far to nearly 1.5 million.
Illegal immigration in Florida has been a major policy driver for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in recent years, with Florida lawmakers passing a new rule last year that would issue fines to businesses found hiring undocumented workers.
Critics have said the law could raise costs for goods and services, as businesses would have to shift to more expensive legal workforces.
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Meanwhile, economists have argued that the law would drive up wages for low-skilled legal workers, and reduce the demand for many goods and services in the state — which translates to lower prices.
Amid rising gang violence in Haiti, DeSantis earlier this month ordered 250 law enforcement officers and soldiers to the Florida Keys ahead of what he calls the “potential of invasion.”
“We do have our transport program, also, that’s going to be operational, so if Haitians land in the Florida keys, their next stop very well may be Martha’s Vineyard,” DeSantis said in an interview with conservative radio host Dana Loesch.
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