'Forgotten invasion': Rep. Matt Gaetz says FL waterways are overlooked in migrant crisis

OPA LOCKA, Fla. (CBS12) — Like Texas and Arizona, Florida has been dealing with a wave of illegal immigrants this year.

So-called “maritime migrants” don’t get as many headlines as those who make the long trek across the southwest desert.

However, they caught the attention of Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who told CBS12 News, our ocean borders must be more secure.

“In Washington, people are always talking about the U.S. Mexico Border but in a lot of ways what we see here in Florida is the forgotten invasion,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The congressman took to the skies with the U.S. Coast Guard Tuesday morning, to get a better understanding of the migrant crisis in Florida’s coastal waters.

“We are weak in the Florida straits, we are weak with the Bimini passageways just by virtue of our geography,” said Gaetz.

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Over the winter, when the seas are relatively calm, the Florida Keys were inundated with undocumented migrants.

Gov. Ron DeSantis sent the National Guard to assist border patrol and local law enforcement.

While the Coast Guard patrolled offshore.

“The Coast Guard is a small branch, we are a small but mighty force that is why we have a homeland security taskforce where we work with our partnering agencies,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Alejandro Rivera with the Coast Guard.

In fiscal year 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered more than 35,000 migrants trying to enter Florida illegally.

In 2023, that number is already over 135,000 – up nearly 300 percent.

“The answer to illegal immigration isn’t just to open the floodgates to seemingly limitless immigration, the answer is to have strong borders,” said Rep. Gaetz.

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“The coast guard has been upholding its mission, it has been interdicting migrants and keeping these migrants safe at sea,” said Rivera.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection would not do an interview for this story but said in a statement they are enforcing immigration laws and turning violators over to immigration authorities.

While the Coast Guard reports they have seen a sharp decrease in migrant vessels as the storm season arrives, Congressman Gaetz says more needs to be done.

“The problem is that we don’t yet have Department of Defense assets to be able to really integrate not only the intelligence that we gather but the deterrence,” said Gaetz.

Congressman Gaetz, who represents the Florida panhandle, is committed to ensuring resources dedicated to stopping the flow of undocumented migrants into the U.S., are protecting Florida’s coast as well as the land borders in Texas and Arizona.