The Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, citing analysis of the latest U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, reports that some 326,000 migrants from Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua have arrived at airports in Florida over the past year.
On Tuesday, U.S. Congressman Maxwell Frost held a roundtable for Central Florida's Haitian community to brainstorm ideas for those seeking refuge from the ensuing violence and chaos in Haiti.
As the political and economic conditions worsen in Haiti, Haitian leaders urge Florida officials to support nonprofits on the ground and address the root cause of migration from the country.
The governor said he is sending a mix of law enforcement, fish and wildlife and National Guard personnel to the waters around Florida's southern peninsula.
A multinational security force is expected to arrive in 2024 following a vote last month at the UN Security Council. But some in South Florida's Haitian community point to the failures of previous peacekeeping missions in the country, and fear for their families back home.