Coast Guard Intensifies Operations in South Florida Waters Amid New Immigration Directives
In response to new immigration policies from President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. Coast Guard is ramping up its activities in the waters surrounding South Florida. The move comes as part of executive orders aimed at reducing illegal immigration, as outlined in Trump’s executive orders.
Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday announced a directive for all operational commanders to “immediately surge assets,” including cutters, boats, helicopters, planes, and specialized teams, to critical areas. These areas include the maritime borders approaching Florida, between the Bahamas and South Florida, and between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico. Additional focus areas are the southwest maritime border between the U.S. and Mexico in the Pacific and maritime borders around Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Coast Guard will also support Customs and Border Protection along the maritime sections of the U.S. southwest border. A spokesperson emphasized operational security by stating, “We are unable to provide specific details on the number of personnel and their exact locations to ensure operational security and the safety of our crews; however, we remain fully operational and committed to the mission.”
Adm. Lunday also adopted the term “Gulf of America” in line with President Trump’s executive order renaming the U.S. Continental Shelf area of the Gulf, as reported by renaming.
Following his inauguration, Trump signed several executive orders concerning immigration. These include declaring a national emergency at the southern border, attempting to end birthright citizenship—a move already facing legal challenges—and increasing military involvement in border security. To support these initiatives, the Pentagon plans to deploy up to 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border shortly.
This military deployment aligns with Trump’s broader strategy to bolster military presence along the border, as outlined in his order to the defense secretary to create a plan to “seal the borders” against “unlawful mass migration.”
The Coast Guard’s increased activity follows the recent dismissal of Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead the Coast Guard, as reported by after Trump fired.
In 2023, the Southeast District has already repatriated more than 100 individuals to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas. The number of migrants intercepted by the Coast Guard surged to about 13,000 in both 2022 and 2023, up from approximately 3,600 in 2021. From 2020 to 2023, nearly 14,000 Cubans and almost 10,000 Haitians were interdicted by Southeast District crews, according to the most recent data from September 2024.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
