The Biden administration is considering processing Haitian migrants at Guantanamo Bay if there is a mass exodus fleeing the gang-fuelled violence.
The White House is discussing the plans amid fears thousands could try and reach the U.S. to escape the Caribbean nation on the brink of collapse.
Haitians would be processed on the base 200 miles from Haiti in a center separate to Camp X, where terrorist suspects are held, CNN reported.
The Department of Homeland Security says migration from the island being overtaken by gangs is so far low.
But there are concerns hoards could get on boats to try and make the crossing to Florida.
As a result, Ron DeSantis has announced plans to send over 250 additional soldiers – and a fleet of aircraft and boats – to ‘protect’ Florida from vessels.
Scroll down for video:
The Biden administration is considering processing Haitian migrants at Guantanamo Bay if there is a mass exodus fleeing the gang-fuelled violence. Soldiers patrol the streets of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday
Haitians would be processed on the base 200 miles from Haiti in a center separate to Camp X, where terrorist suspects are held
The conservative governor made the edict Wednesday, as unrest in the Caribbean country continued for a second week.
The deployment will include 48 National Guardsmen, as well as four helicopters that will add to an already boisterous line of defense along the state’s southern coast.
A further 39 officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 30 from Florida Highway Patrol, and 23 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will also join the front, as well as a litany of aircraft and drones and eight boats.
The details of the deployment were provided by DeSantis’ office, shortly after the failed GOP candidate took to X to announce the operation. Days before, the US deployed Marines to protect the US embassy in Haiti, as gang violence permeates across the country.
DeSantis, 45, went on to outline his decision Wednesday morning, citing how his state – prior to the current situation – had already gone through great lengths to keep Haitians from entering illegally.
‘For quite some time, the State of Florida has been dedicating significant resources to combat illegal vessels coming to Florida from countries such as Haiti,’ DeSantis said, obliquely mentioning countries like Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
‘Given the circumstances in Haiti,’ he continued, ‘I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea craft to the southern coast of Florida.’
The decision, he said, was made ‘to protect our state.’
The outspoken Republican went on to insist how ‘no other state has done more to supplement the U.S. Coast Guard’s interdiction efforts,’ calling the current line of defense ‘under-resourced’.
He put the latter claim in parentheticals, a week after the US Coast Guard repatriated 65 Haitian asylum seekers after their vessel was spotted in distress.
‘We cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida,’ he concluded.
A further 39 officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 30 from Florida Highway Patrol, and 23 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will also join, as well as aircraft and drones and eight boats. Pictured: Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Monday
The announcement comes a week after the US Coast Guard repatriated 65 Haitian asylum seekers after their vessel (pictured) was spotted in distress
‘We cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida,’ DeSantis on Wednesday concluded, claiming the current Coast Guard defense along the state’s southern coast is ‘under-resourced’. Pictured: Dispossessed people walking along a street in Port-au-Prince on Tuesday
He put the latter claim in parentheticals, as countless Haitians caught in the gangland crossfire continue to struggle for survival
The violence continued on Tuesday even after Haiti’s prime minister resigned – a request made by the gangs carrying out the violence
Politicians across the region are still scrambling for a solution, as dogs have been seen gnawing on the unaddressed dead and bodies are burned in the streets.
The conservative governor made the edict Wednesday, as unrest in the Caribbean country continued for a second week
The group had been hellbent on rallying support for a Kenya-led foreign police intervention that they said would have restored order enough so that a new round of elections could be held, killing anyone who stands in their way
Officials on Monday did not name a replacement for the world leader – saying only that CARICOM is now taking on the task of meeting the ‘immediate needs’ of Haitian people
The announcement came less than a day after Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry was forced to resign, following an emergency summit called to address gang-led violence currently occurring in the country.
The 74-year-old head of state tendered his resignation a week after the growing coalition of gangs warned of civil war if he did not step down.
His resignation was swiftly confirmed by Guyana’s president Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the current chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The coalition called the emergency meeting as gangs across the Caribbean country continue to unite, targeting government buildings and foreign embassies – and killing many innocents caught in the crossfire.
As a result, thousands have had fled their homes, and locals continue to report the overwhelming stench of the dead. Meanwhile, politicians across the region are scrambling for a solution – one that may now be in sight following Henry’s removal.
‘We acknowledge his resignation upon the establishment of a transitional presidential council and naming of an interim prime minister,’ Ali said, thanking Henry – who came to power unelected after the assassination of Haiti’s previous president – for his service.
The decision, said to have been made Friday, came shortly before the US deployed Marines to evacuate its embassy as gangs led by former police officer Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier continue to attack state institutions.
Henry, at the moment, remains unable to return home, stranded in Puerto Rico since Tuesday after officials deemed it unsafe for him to land in neighboring Dominican Republic.
On Saturday, the office of Dominican President Luis Abinader issued a statement explaining that decision – saying ‘Henry is not welcome in the Dominican Republic for safety reasons.’
That decision came shortly after another that saw the Caribbean nation close its land border with its embattled neighbor, seemingly leaving the other side of Hispaniola to its fate.