While many Republicans focus on President Joe Biden’s failed policies at the southern border, Rep. Matt Gaetz on Tuesday called attention to the “forgotten invasion” of Florida.
The Fort Walton Beach Republican toured the seas with the U.S. Coast Guard just off Miami to get a look at how the crisis of illegal immigration is affecting the Sunshine State.
“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,” Gaetz told CBS12.
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“We are weak in the Florida Straits … just by virtue of our geography,” he added after a flight aboard a Coast Guard aircraft.
In fiscal year 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 35,000 illegals trying to enter the U.S. through Florida.
Roughly nine months into FY 23, and that number has spiked to 135,000.
“The answer to illegal immigration,” said Gaetz, “isn’t just to open the floodgates to seemingly limitless legal immigration. The answer is to have strong borders.”
“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 (also) the deterrence,” said Gaetz.
Florida has a large undocumented immigrant population, estimated at 772,000 in 2022.
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This represents about 8% of the state’s total population. The majority of undocumented immigrants in Florida come from Latin America, with Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia being the top countries of origin.
In 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a number of laws that make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to live and work in the state. These laws include:
- Requiring hospitals to collect information on the immigration status of patients
- Creating penalties for employers who hire undocumented immigrants
- Expanding employment verification screening requirements to all employers with 25 or more employees
- Invalidating out-of-state driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants
- Establishing criminal penalties for transporting undocumented immigrants into the state
- Increasing funding to relocate or bus migrants to other parts of the U.S.
- Expanding the authority of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to carry out immigration enforcement
These laws have been criticized by immigrant advocates, who argue that they will make it harder for undocumented immigrants to access essential services, such as healthcare and education. They also argue that the laws will create a climate of fear and uncertainty for undocumented immigrants, making them less likely to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement.
The impact of these laws on Florida’s economy is still unclear. Some experts argue that the laws will deter businesses from hiring undocumented immigrants, which could lead to labor shortages in some industries.
Others argue that the laws will have little impact on the economy, as undocumented immigrants are already hesitant to report their immigration status to employers.
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