The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Diligence repatriated 182 Haitian migrants on Wednesday after intercepting a disabled vessel south of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The migrants were apprehended as part of ongoing efforts to prevent dangerous maritime crossings during hurricane season.
The interdiction began Saturday evening when a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew from the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama, spotted the disabled vessel approximately 57 miles south of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders quickly diverted the Cutter Paul Clark to intercept the boat.
“Hurricane season is an especially dangerous time for unlawful maritime migration,” said Lt. Nicholas Fujimoto, a Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer. “The Coast Guard is actively monitoring the waters of the Caribbean to prevent the tragic loss of life at sea. Makeshift vessels are unseaworthy and ill-equipped to handle the unpredictable and rougher seas caused by tropical storms.”
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U.S. authorities emphasized that migrants intercepted at sea or apprehended ashore will not be permitted to stay in the United States or its territories. Migrants entering the country unlawfully may face repatriation to their country of origin and may be declared ineligible for legal immigration pathways under U.S. law and international treaty obligations.
“Anyone wanting to enter the United States must do so through safe, orderly, and lawful pathways; don’t take to the sea,” warned Lt. Cmdr. John W. Beal, public information officer for Homeland Security Task Force-Southeast. “There are serious consequences for attempting unlawful entry by sea, including disqualification from lawful parole processes and potential criminal prosecution for unlawful reentry.”
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Since the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1, 2023, the Coast Guard has repatriated a total of 507 migrants to Haiti as part of its efforts to manage maritime migration in the region.
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