Staff Reports
The Biden Administration’s federal parole program is creating a tidal wave of undocumented migrants crashing into the beloved sunshine state of Florida. The number of rattled Florida migrants shot up from 35,349 in fiscal year 2022 to a staggering 236,691 in fiscal year 2023, a jaw-dropping 550% increase! This surge can be mainly credited to a special Department of Homeland Security program catering to Haitian, Venezuelan, Cuban, and Nicaraguan asylum seekers.
This controversial program allows undocumented individuals outside the US to seek parole within the country based on “urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons.” Candidates must have a financial “supporter” already in the US, pass a security check, and meet other criteria. In layman’s terms, it’s essentially a golden ticket for anyone in a neighboring country with distant second cousins twice removed in Florida.
Biden admin parole program sparks 550% increase of undocumented migrants pouring into Florida from just last year: data https://t.co/m6QylPZZMb pic.twitter.com/yrUAXca2VS
— gray ta (@grayta12) December 28, 2023
This harebrained initiative has prompted an influx of migrants stampeding into Florida, with a whopping 56,547 migrant encounters in just October and November of this year, compared to a measly 13,580 over the same period last year and a laughable 2,886 in 2021. Florida is resembling a revolving door for undocumented individuals, and the numbers are skyrocketing faster than a SpaceX launch.
Haiti took the gold medal for shipping the highest number of migrants to Florida in fiscal year 2023, with 69,435 people making the leap. Venezuelans followed close behind at 54,220, Cubans at 51,162, Nicaraguans at 26,857, Ukrainians at 7,816, and even Indians at 3,411. It’s becoming quite the global party, and everyone wants a piece of the Florida sunshine and oranges.
The surge in October and November comes from those seeking asylum due to the financial wreckage in their home countries in Central and South America. As one border source noted, “It’s the economic issues in their home countries.” Apparently, the grass is always greener in Florida, and who can blame them when their home countries are in shambles?
The Biden Administration’s debacle has forced overwhelmed US Citizenship and Immigration Services to overhaul its review processes. The program has also led to more migrants heading to seaports and airports instead of taking the treacherous maritime route, making Florida the new hotbed for undocumented arrivals.
With Florida hitting record numbers of migrant encounters, Governor Ron DeSantis has taken a stand and cracked down on the influx, particularly targeting migrant boat traffic. It’s a real-life game of whack-a-mole, and DeSantis is not afraid to swing the mallet.
Across the nation, the influx of migrants has reached over 3 million encounters in fiscal year 2023, a severe spike from the 1,956,519 in fiscal year 2022 and a paltry 646,822 in fiscal year 2020. Texas took the crown for the most migrant encounters, with a staggering 1,390,714, followed by California at 450,541. The land of the free is feeling more like the land of the freeloaders.
