The increase in illegal immigration via boats under the Biden administration has introduced specific threats for law enforcement, as noted by a border security expert.
The use of boats for illegal entry into the U.S. surged during Biden’s term, largely due to the political and economic upheavals in Haiti and Cuba, based on information from the Migration Policy Institute. In February 2023, the U.S. Naval Institute reported that operations to intercept illegal immigrants were in a “state of emergency” because of the social unrest in Caribbean nations.
Along the border between the U.S. and Mexico in California, illegal immigrants attempt to cross into America using boats as well.
On July 12, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted three individuals attempting to illegally enter the U.S. by boat, apprehended at Imperial Beach in San Diego County, California. Two claimed to be Mexican, while one identified as Turkish.
California isn’t close to the only state having to handle migrant incursions along its shores.
In February, the Coast Guard intercepted 132 Haitians on a boat south of the Florida Keys. The Coast Guard boarded the 30-foot vessel and processed the illegal immigrants before they were repatriated to Haiti, according to officials.
“The Coast Guard will continue to prioritize strengthening our domestic integrity and disrupting attempts to enter the United States illegally by sea,” said Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer Lt. Zane Carter. “We are steadfast in our mission to safeguard America by securing our maritime borders.“
Coast Guard personnel intercepts 132 Haitians on a boat. (U.S. Coast Guard)
Simon Hankinson, senior research fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that these interdictions create a unique danger for law enforcement authorities.
“Well, I’ve seen a very different pattern, say, between the U.K. and France versus off the U.S. coast, where it seems to be a variety of, you know, if it’s professional smugglers with really fast boats trying to bring people in and drop them off, then that’s one thing for the Coast Guard to cope with,” Hankinson said. “And if it is people organizing themselves in leaky boats with insufficient engines and overcrowded conditions, then it’s a different thing. I think for the Coast Guard, for our law enforcement, that the issue of safety is obviously paramount.”
“They don’t want anyone to drown and die trying to cross into the U.S. Illegally, even if they’re not supposed to do it, but they’re also probably worried about people carrying weapons who are trying to smuggle drugs and people in for money,” he added.
Hankinson said the U.S. should look at what’s happening in the United Kingdom as a case study on what to avoid. The U.K. saw 19,982 cross the English Channel to enter the country in the first six months of 2025, according to Sky News. That figure is up almost 50% compared to the first six months of 2024.
“You know, I was born in England. It’s tragic what’s happening there,” he said. “You have a whole family of Palestinians who were allowed to stay, even though they’d applied under a program for Ukrainians. You know it’s a sort of national suicide by generosity.”
