The Governor Ron DeSantis plans to face the avalanche of Cuban immigrants to the state of Florida by sending them on buses to Delaware, an initiative that openly rejects the policy of the Joe Biden administration on the admission of refugees across the border.
“The state doesn’t have jurisdiction over immigration, but we do have jurisdiction over the welfare of our residents and our communities, and so the Governor worked with the Legislature to get funding and try to make sure that [ante] those people who come illegally, we are not going to sit idly by, we are not going to think regarding what we can do, and we are going to send you very frankly [sic] to the state of Delaware, to the state of the president”said the lieutenant governor Jeanette Núñez during a radio interview in Miami.
Núñez spoke last Wednesday in the program “Cada tarde”, hosted by presenters Agustín Acosta and Carinés Moncada on Actualidad Radio (WURN-1040 AM), to address the Increasing migratory wave of Cubans through border points of the United States.
“What we have done and what we try to continue doing is to have a position at the state level on that,” said Núñez following it was revealed this week that 177,848 Cuban immigrants entered US territory in the first 10 months of fiscal year 2022of them more than 175 thousand across the Mexican border.
It is the largest irregular exodus of Cubans to the United States in the history of the American nation. The Cuban stampede accumulates 208,023 people registered without documents in the almost 19 months of the Biden administration, which widely exceeds other migratory crises from Cuba, such as Mariel, in 1980, the rfollowings of 1994, and Camarioca, in 1965.
The Florida proposal follows in the footsteps of the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, who implemented the strategy of sending immigrants who arrived in their state through the border to Washington DCsince April, and more recently to New York City.
Abbott believes that due to Biden’s continued refusal to acknowledge the crisis caused by his open borders policy, Texas has had to take unprecedented steps to keep its communities safe. His decision has been the target of criticism from Democratic leaders and immigrant advocacy groups for considering it a decision motivated by political reasons.
“Although we are not a border state, we are feeling the impact and we will continue to feel it… And even if it is only a part of those numbers [de inmigrantes] who have come across the border from Cuba, rest assured that where they want to go, the final point, is Florida, there is no doubt regarding that,” added the lieutenant governor.
The plan outlined by Núñez, a Cuban American native of Miami, has unleashed harsh criticism in the Democratic caucus and social networks. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Democratic candidate for state governor, Nikki Friedconsidered that it is a foolish proposal.
“Fleeing communism and tyranny to come to a state with the wealth of family and culture and being deported north by bus is cruel and wrong,” Fried said in a statement. statement released this Saturday.
the famous journalist Marc Caputonetwork political reporter NBCcommented that it is “absolutely amazing” that a daughter of the exile community who counts Cubans as friends and neighbors, says that her immigrant compatriots should be expelled from Miami.
DeSantis has maintained a firm position rejecting uncontrolled immigration to Florida. Last June he enacted a law that prohibits public contracts with companies that provide assistance and transportation to immigrants, including unaccompanied minors.
In addition, the legislation expanded the definition of “sanctuary policy” to prevent Florida cities or counties from preventing local police officers from providing immigration information to federal authorities.
Núñez said she was concerned regarding the economic and social consequences that the insertion of thousands of Cubans in Florida will have.
“It is irresponsible on the part of Biden and his entire administration not to deal with this issue. This is going to be worse than Mariel, worse than the entire shock of the ’80s, and simply doing nothing is not an option,” he said. Nunez.
In reality, the massive arrival of Cuban immigrants has generated chaos and has collapsed social care services in South Florida in recent months. It is estimated that more than 60 percent of Cuban refugees live in Miami-Dade County, while the rest is distributed mainly between the metropolitan areas of Louisville (Kentucky), Houston (Texas) and Las Vegas (Nevada).
The situation has forced extreme measures on the part of the Department of Children and Families of Florida (DCF) to be able to attend to the flood of requests from newcomers.
At the DCF offices in Miami-Dade, the main destination for new arrivals, there are long lines and overcrowding in the surroundings since the early hours of the morning.
The difficulties in providing basic services and housing to numerous families have led religious institutions such as Iglesia Rescate, in Hialeah, to become involved in the care of unprotected families.
But the coffers of state programs are beginning to feel the effects of the arrival of Cubans. Although when entering the land border they are not considered officially admitted (parole) and must start an asylum process, the documentation delivered (I-220A or humanitarian parole), allows them to receive some benefits for their stay in the country.
The defendants receive a cash aid of $180 dollars a month for a semester, $250 dollars in food stamps (up to a year) and medical attention (Medicaid), also for a year.
However, the complexity of the matter is not limited to the cost of millions of additional dollars to promote aid to immigrants, but rather that the legal landscape is not completely clear for everyone to obtain permanent resident status, protected by the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA).
