Florida grappling with influx of migrant arrivals from Cuba, Haiti, depicted in rescue videos on social media
FLORIDA KEYS - New video posted on social media shows the incredible moment a raft full of Cuban migrants was spotted and rescued by a Carnival Cruise crew.
The video shows the Carnival staff assisting the refugees stranded at sea onto the ship. This is raft is just one of dozens that have showed up in South Florida territory over the last couple of days.
"Your heart breaks for the people that are on the boats that are doing it because they put their lives in danger," said Capt. Pete Jacobsen, who witnessed the migrants arriving.
Tuesday, dozens of Haitian migrants arrived in Key Largo, making the dangerous journey on the sea to come to America.
"Haiti is very dangerous," Haitian migrant Amos Augustine told us, so he took his chances on the rough ocean. He said it was well worth it.
Despite their difficult journey to pursue the American Dream, their time in the U.S. could be short-lived.
"If they don't pass that credible fear interview, obviously, they can go in front of a judge to review that credible fear interview and if it's denied then, unfortunately, they will be deported from the United States," said Jose Guerrero, an immigration attorney based in South Florida.
Guerrero says migrants who arrive in America illegally can request a credible fear interview by asylum officers to determine if their claims of fleeing from persecution are valid.
"if they don't pass the credible fear interview, they will be deported. It's called expedited removal, we're talking about 30 to 40 or maybe 45 days before they will be returned, but if they pass the credible fear interview then they might be released into the public. And then, it will take years for them to go in front of an immigration judge to have his or her asylum case heard from the judge," said Guerrero.
Regardless of the risks, migrants are showing up in droves to South Florida and according to U.S. Border Patrol, the Miami sector has seen a 400% increase in migrant encounters since October 1, 2022.
The Homeland Security Task Force is also asking family members of migrants asking about their loved ones' whereabouts to contact their local U.S. representative's office.
