Sheriff’s Office assists federal law enforcement during weekend spike in refugee arrivals in the Keys

The Sheriff’s Office has been assisting federal law enforcement agents with a spike in Cuban refugee arrivals since Saturday and continuing into Monday morning.

 

“Refugee arrivals require a lot of resources from the Sheriff’s Office as we help our federal law enforcement partners ensure the migrants are in good health and safe,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Residents may see an increased amount of law enforcement and emergency responders throughout the county as we continue to respond to these landings.”

 

More than 160 refugees have landed mostly in the Middle and Upper Keys, as well as many as 300 on the Marquesas Keys and at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.

 

The Sheriff’s Office has been told by the U.S. Border Patrol that some migrant landings may have to wait for federal resources to arrive until the following day, aggravating the mass migration crisis in the Keys. This federal failure is creating a humanitarian crisis.

 

“This shows a lack of a working plan by the federal government to deal with a mass migration issue that was foreseeable,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

 

If residents see an arrival occurring, they should notify the Sheriff’s Office and provide a location.