California’s attractiveness to illegal immigrants has been confirmed once again recently.
Last month, a violent uprising occurred in the capital of Haiti, leading to a mass exodus of people. Despite the fact that it is over 2,000 miles farther from California than Florida, many Haitians still prefer to take a detour through California to enter the United States. Meanwhile, in Florida which is much closer to Haiti, the number of Haitian immigrants crossing the border has significantly decreased.
In early March, Haiti’s two largest prisons were attacked by two major armed gangs, resulting in over 4,500 prisoners collectively escaping. Subsequently, gang members attacked the international airport in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Even though over a month has passed, Haiti’s dangerous situation continues. Violence persists, governmental influence is minimal. It is estimated that gangs control 80% of the areas in Port-au-Prince. Thousands of people have fled their homes in and around the capital.
According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in March of this year, California border personnel processed 2,622 Haitian border crossers. In February of this year, the number of Haitian immigrants found at the northern and southern borders of California was approximately 2,220, and January’s number was only half of February’s, around 1,109 people.
In contrast, the situation in Florida is the opposite. In March of this year, the number of Haitian immigrants crossing into Florida hit a new low for the entire fiscal year, with only 2,907 individuals, a drastic decrease of 8,249 people compared to February.
The influx of Haitians into Texas has also decreased, from 8,894 individuals in February of this year to 6,602 in March. However, the recent number of Haitians entering the state still exceeds the data from October and November.
Traveling from Haiti by plane to California is approximately 2,962 miles, while the distance from Haiti to the coastline of Florida is only about 831 miles. Compared to Florida and Texas, California has a larger population and more congested traffic, yet Haitian immigrants continue to attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border to enter California.
CBP data shows that since the start of the current fiscal year in October of last year, the number of Haitians entering California has been increasing month by month, with 8,901 Haitian immigrants entering California within half a year.
In the entire fiscal year of 2023 (from October of the previous year to September), a total of 13,641 Haitian immigrants entered California, setting a historical high. This marked an increase of over 8,000 people compared to the fiscal year of 2022 and over 12,000 people compared to 2021.
Additionally, the number of Haitians entering the U.S. from the U.S.-Mexico border, especially at the northern Mexican border with Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, has also significantly increased. Data shows that in the fiscal year of 2023, over 76,100 Haitians crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into the U.S., while in the fiscal year of 2022, federal agents encountered only 53,900 Haitians.
On the contrary, despite being closer to Haiti, the number of Haitians crossing into the U.S. from Florida is decreasing.
In the fiscal year of 2023 (from July of the previous year to June), border personnel in Florida processed a total of 69,435 Haitian immigrants. Since the start of the fiscal year of 2024 (approximately 10 months), the number of border crossers from Haiti has been about 57,500.
According to Newsweek’s report on data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the number of illegal immigrants in California has been increasing for three consecutive years. It rose from around 260,000 in the fiscal year of 2021 (ending in September of that year) to 362,000 in 2022 and 450,000 in 2023. The number of illegal immigrants in the current fiscal year has already exceeded 203,000 within four months.
The non-partisan organization, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), stated that California has the highest number of illegal immigrants and also the highest number of illegal immigrants who have children residing in the U.S.
FAIR’s data shows that the tax burden on California residents is significantly higher than residents of other states, with the total tax burden borne specifically for illegal immigrants reaching $22.82 billion; when considering their children, the tax burden amounts to around $30.93 billion.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) conducted a statewide survey in February of this year, revealing an increased rate of the younger generation not in favor of providing welfare to immigrants compared to a similar survey conducted by PPIC in June of last year.
The decrease in Haitian immigrants crossing into the U.S. from Florida may be attributed to Florida’s response.
Following the outbreak of unrest in Haiti, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, along with state sheriffs and other law enforcement officials, took swift action. DeSantis deployed over 250 officers and dozens of aircraft and vessels to the southern coast of Florida to protect the state.
DeSantis recently signed three bills to prevent illegal immigration, including enhanced penalties for repeat offenders returning to the U.S. after being deported.