TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis called out the Florida National Guard on Friday to help respond to the surge of migrants that have been arriving in South Florida by boat in recent weeks.
The sudden jump in migrant arrivals in the Florida Keys has overwhelmed local authorities and raised fears of a mass migration event. Almost 500 Cubans and 130 Haitians have arrived since Christmas.
DeSantis’ office told the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times on Thursday afternoon that the governor was aware of the situation and was working on responding to it. By 4 p.m. on Friday, the Florida National Guard had been activated.
