(UnitedVoice.com) – Thousands of immigrants have died trying to illegally enter the US over the last few decades. Some of those deaths occurred when boats carrying migrants capsized before reaching America’s shores. Recently, the US Coast Guard busted hundreds of immigrants who were sailing to the US.
In the first week of June, the US Coast Guard caught 305 people trying to reach the US from Haiti and the Bahamas. The busts happened during Operation Vigilant Sentry, a 20-year mission operated by a Homeland Security Task Force that the government established in 2003. The US Coast Guard, Departments of Health and Human Services, State, Defense, and Homeland Security, along with local agencies, are part of the task force.
The recent migrants were rescued from vessels that were not safe and sent back to their own countries. Of the migrants captured, 196 were returned to Haiti on Monday, June 10. The other 109 migrants were handed over to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force on June 9. The rescues happened days after President Joe Biden issued an order closing the border to all migrants who enter between official ports.
Lt. Nick Fujimoto, a Coast Guard Enforcement officer, released a statement saying, “Irregular maritime migration is unlawful and extremely dangerous.” He explained that hurricane season began on June 1, and weather will soon become “more severe and unpredictable,” making it even more dangerous to try to cross the sea. This year’s hurricane season is predicted to be unusually powerful, which amplifies the danger.
In 2023, Operation Vigilant Sentry was responsible for the rescue of 11,955 migrants who were traveling by sea. This year, officials expect there to be more migrants trying to flee Haiti because the country is on the brink of a civil war. There is currently no government operating in the island nation, and gangs control the majority of the country.
The US border is expected to stay closed for months. It won’t reopen until daily average crossings drop to 1,500, a number not seen since 2020.
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