Rep. Matt Gaetz grilled Biden administration officials at a hearing Tuesday on plans for dealing with an expected mass migration from Haiti to Florida as the Caribbean nation implodes into anarchy. Gaetz pressed the officials to help the Coast Guard interdict and return migrants to Haiti by deploying the Navy.
Tuesday afternoon, the New York Post reported the Biden administration is preparing to escort ships loaded with migrants to Florida, rather than return them to Haiti.
However, as of Tuesday the Coast Guard is still repatriating Haitians found at sea:
The crew of @USCG Cutter Venturous repatriated 65 migrants to Haiti following a migrant venture near Great Inagua, Bahamas. USCG and @HSTF_Southeast partners are committed to preserving life at sea regardless of nationality. 🇺🇸🤝🇭🇹#DontTakeToTheSea#PaPranLanmeA#NoTeArriesgues pic.twitter.com/VmnI48Wre9
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) March 12, 2024
Also on Tuesday, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) announced he had helped arrange the rescue of Americans trapped in Haiti, “I am proud to report that my team and I were successful in evacuating and rescuing a trapped, and at risk group of Americans from ‘Have Faith Orphanage’ in Haiti last night…”
I am proud to report that my team and I were successful in evacuating and rescuing a trapped, and at risk group of Americans from ‘Have Faith Orphanage’ in Haiti last night.
This recent mission reiterates a disturbing reality that under President Biden’s leadership American…
— Cory Mills (@CoryMillsFL) March 12, 2024
Other missionaries are still trapped and begging for help:
US missionaries trapped in Haiti beg for help amid violent gang takeover: ‘The gunfire never stops’ https://t.co/ocLmdrlIXl pic.twitter.com/CKOVrKznGs
— New York Post (@nypost) March 12, 2024
New York Post reporter Jenny Taer reported an exclusive on Border Patrol plans to deal with mass migration from Haiti to Florida, “SCOOP: BP agents in FL have been told to prep for a wave of migration from Haiti An internal email leaked to us @nypost said it’s unlikely Haitians entering Florida illegally will be repatriated & warned that one vessel of migrants would overwhelm BP.”
SCOOP: BP agents in FL have been told to prep for a wave of migration from Haiti
An internal email leaked to us @nypost said it’s unlikely Haitians entering Florida illegally will be repatriated & warned that one vessel of migrants would overwhelm BP. https://t.co/42ZgNL011b
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) March 12, 2024
“The email warns that a vessel from Haiti is already on its way to Florida and says they’ll need all hands on deck for assistance: “The hardest part is keeping the landing contained to a given area.“ (Note: the email also says, “With the breakdown of the government in Haiti repatriating Haitians may not be happening for the foreseeable future. If this is the case, then the Coast Guard may not be stopping Haitian sail freighter. They will just be escorting them into land…”
If Haitian migrants reach Florida’s shores, it will be difficult to contain the groups, transport them in a timely fashion & identify fake families, the email says, BP says.
“Often, they will claim that a juvenile is accompanied when they really are not, so if there is a…
— Jennie Taer (@JennieSTaer) March 12, 2024
Video and transcript of Gaetz at the hearing:
Following my questioning of DoD officials on the collapsing state of Haiti, the Biden Administration will now contemplate using the Department of Defense & the U.S. Navy to STOP the anticipated mass migration of Haitians into Florida! https://t.co/umJ01AqY2L pic.twitter.com/V3YoW4nG5K
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 12, 2024
Rep. Gaetz: So what’s the difference between Haiti and a failed state? It’s telling right we can’t really identify because the gangs are in charge, the government has been thrown out. And as a Florida man, I’m deeply concerned about this wave of people that we’re about to have that we are having coming from Haiti, and it will accelerate, because I’ve gone to Opa Locka. And I’ve spent time with the folks that are engaged in operation vigilance century. And they say the number one push factor that drives these Haitians into Broward County, Palm Beach County where they don’t disperse throughout the country. They stay in southeast Florida. That driving factor is the deterioration of conditions in Haiti. So what are we doing to prepare for that wave, and to ensure that these people are not paroled into the United States, as the administration has done with people on the southern border, but instead, are repatriated back at the dock at Port au Prince?
Zimmerman: 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 we have not yet seen large numbers what we would characterize as as maritime mass migration. But we are alert to that is migration. We are 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.
Rep. Gaetz: Because I’ve talked to the Coast Guard, and what they say would really support them would be more naval vessels would be DoD support. And 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, specifically George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13276. And in that executive order, there is the ability for any president to designate an anticipated mass migration, and that get gray haul naval vessels into the Straits of Florida to deter that migration and then to reach Patriot those people before they get to Florida. So general Richardson, is it your best military advice based on what we just heard from Zimmerman, that we activate the authorities anticipating a mass migration.
Richardson: So I think that we need to be postured appropriately for that exactly what you’re talking about. And I have put in a request for increased capability to do exactly that. And and we are ready if a mass migration if we need to deal with a mass migration. We did a full walkthrough of our contingency plan on Gitmo last summer, with all of the interagency and all of my components.
Rep. Gaetz: When I talked to the Coast Guard folks, they seem to say that we don’t have to go drop these folks off at Gitmo where they they become a burden on the US taxpayer. We can interdict it see, and then repatriate directly at Port au Prince. When you say you’re preparing for that, does that specifically mean DoD assets?
Richardson: So for what happens on a daily basis that the Coast Guard is doing and the repatriation under homeland security authorities back to cap-haitien happens on a daily basis?
Rep. Gaetz: Yeah, no, I got that. But what the when I go down to overlock and get eyeball to eyeball with these folks. They say congressman, we really could use the DoD assistance, not more money for the Coast Guard, not more meetings, conference calls and committees, but gray hole vessels in the Straits of Florida doing the interdictions doing the repatriations. So when you say you’re you’re anticipating that I think Zimmerman laid it out correctly. So given the the fact that any anticipated maritime mass migration is specifically contemplated pursuant to 46 USC 70051. Can I leave this discussion, believing that it will be your best military advice to the administration to utilize DoD assets for this purpose? General Richards.
Richardson: I’m requested to do that. I will definitely do that.
Rep. Gaetz: No, I want you to make the request not be requested. That’s what I’m trying to ascertain.
Richardson: Okay. Yes, Congressman.
Rep. Gaetz: Yes, you you will make that request for DOD.
Richardson: I will talkwith district seven and our Coast Guard on the on the Atlantic side Atlantic area and see if they need additional Gray, DOD gray holes. They have not requested that specifically from SOUTHCOM. And so but if there’s a need for that, I would absolutely request it.
Rep. Gaetz: Thank you for that, because I really think getting ahead of this will ensure that the humanitarian conditions will will be far better that we could perhaps deter some of this because it’s tragic conditions when you talk to these folks, and they say that these Haitians are pouring gasoline on little babies and doing everything they can to deter interdictions. It sharpens the minds of my fellow Floridians to want to make sure you guys are doing everything possible and I greatly appreciate the Exchange today you’re back.
Armstrong Williams posted a brief summary of conditions in Haiti, “Cruelest nightmare on Planet Earth, Living in Haiti. Gangs control 80% of the capital. Dead bodies are decomposing everywhere . Americans are trapped and have few options to escape. The Clinton’s actions and Foundation in Haiti were shameful and should never be defended…”
Cruelest nightmare on Planet Earth, Living in Haiti .
Gangs control 80% of the capital.
Dead bodies are decomposing everywhere . Americans are trapped and have few options to escape. The Clinton’s actions and Foundation in Haiti were shameful and should never be defended… pic.twitter.com/GZEZO4bz5L— Armstrong Williams 🇺🇸 (@Arightside) March 11, 2024
This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit
