Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) posted videos on Tuesday to X, formerly Twitter, of his exchange with Department of Defense (DOD) employees at a session of the House Armed Services Committee, in which the Biden administration officials acknowledged that the White House anticipates a mass migration of Haitian illegal immigrants into the U.S. through Florida.
“So what’s the difference between Haiti and a failed state? It’s telling, right? We can’t tell the difference between them because the gangs are in charge, the government has been thrown out, and as a Florida man, I’m deeply concerned about this wave of people that we are having coming from Haiti,” Gaetz said during the hearing.
I don’t want southeast Florida to become Haiti.
I am calling on Joe Biden to do the right thing and declare an anticipated state of mass migration over water.
That way we could get naval vessels in the Florida straits to deter the thousands of incoming Haitians before they… pic.twitter.com/o0rd3sFaOY
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 14, 2024
“And it will accelerate, because I’ve gone to Opa-Locka, and I’ve spent time with the folks that are engaged in Operation Vigilant Century, and they say the number one pushback that drives these Haitians into Broward County, Palm Beach County, where they don’t disperse throughout the country… that driving factor is the deterioration of conditions in Haiti,” Gaetz said.
“So what are we doing to prepare for that wave and to ensure that these people are not paroled into the United States as the administration has done with people on the southern border, but instead are repatriated back at the docket?” he asked.
INCOMING HAITIAN INVASION: DoD officials testify before the House Armed Services Committee that the Biden Administration acknowledges there IS an anticipated mass migration from Haiti into the United States through Florida 👇 pic.twitter.com/Fo9XyR9v8n
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 12, 2024
DOD official Rebecca Zimmerman answered, “Congressman, we’re doing a number of things to make sure that we’re keeping track of the situation and we’re prepared. At the moment we have not yet seen large numbers… as maritime mass migration, but we are alert to that possibility. I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people.”
Gaetz seemed gratified that the official was on the same page with him about Haiti and jumped to share a possible solution. “Because I think you correctly said that there is an anticipated mass migration here, there are specific legal authorities that I think we can access, that I would implore you to access,” he said.
“Specifically George W. Bush signed executive order 13276, and in that executive order there is the ability for any president to designate an anticipated mass migration… and repatriate those people before they get to Florida,” Gaetz said.
