Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast (HSTF-SE) partner agencies continue to prevent and deter irregular, unlawful maritime migration to the continental United States and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
U.S. immigration policy remains unchanged, and anyone attempting to enter the United States unlawfully by sea will be rescued and repatriated consistent with U.S. laws, policies and international treaty obligations.
“The U.S. maritime borders remain closed to unlawful migration attempts and criminal human smuggling,” said Rear Adm. Douglas Schofield, director of HSTF-SE and commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District. “Taking to the sea is not an option; those wishing to come to the United States must use the safe, orderly, and lawful pathways available. Our DHS-led Task Force partners are committed to saving lives and enforcing U.S. laws and policy throughout the Florida Straits and the Caribbean Sea. The Task Force maintains a robust presence on land, at sea, and in the air from the mainland United States to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to uphold our commitment to homeland security and maritime safety.”
As previously announced, anyone who unlawfully attempts to reach the U.S. by sea, or who arrives by sea unlawfully, will not be permitted to remain in the United States and will further be disqualified indefinitely from the lawful immigration parole processes for Cubans and Haitians announced in January 2023.
- Regardless of nationality, migrants interdicted at sea by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), or state law enforcement crews will be repatriated to their country of origin or returned to their country of departure by the USCG.
- Anyone who arrives unlawfully by sea to the mainland U.S. or our territories will be apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), processed for removal proceedings, and returned to their country of origin by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), with a five-year ban on reentry.
- Suspected human smugglers will be investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations (CBP-OFO) will continue to process airport and seaport arrivals, including Advanced Travel Authorizations.
- There are consequences for unlawful entry. Those who fail to use one of the many lawful, safe, and orderly pathways available, and attempt to enter the United States unlawfully, are presumed ineligible for asylum and, if they do not have a basis to remain, are subject to prompt removal, a minimum five-year bar on admission, and potential criminal prosecution for unlawful reentry.
The Task Force works with Caribbean nations including The Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos Islands via U.S. Embassy staffs and USCG liaison officers to ensure maritime domain awareness and to maintain repatriation capabilities. HSTF-SE maintains continual awareness of migrant flow rates and the geopolitical, social, economic, and security environments of source nations that might influence maritime migration trends. This constant monitoring allows local, state, and federal partners to adjust as necessary to meet the challenges associated with the security of our U.S. maritime borders.
HSTF-SE was established in 2003 and serves as the DHS lead for operational and tactical planning, command and control, and as a standing organization to deter, mitigate and respond to maritime mass migration in the Caribbean Sea and the Florida Straits. HSTF-SE continues enhanced enforcement efforts in support of Operation Vigilant Sentry, the 2004 DHS plan to respond to irregular maritime migration in the Caribbean Sea and the Straits of Florida.
The original announcement can be found here.