In recent days, more than 500 Cuban migrants have landed in the Florida Keys. Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order calling on the National Guard to crack down on migrants sailing into Florida. He’s blasting Joe Biden for not securing the state as Cubans arrive by boat as they escape Cuba’s inflation and food shortages.

Sound familiar? Another governor is doing what he can to secure his own state while the Biden administration turns a blind eye to the illegal immigration crisis plaguing the United States. DeSantis said he is moving to deter mass migration while ensuring the safety of migrants traveling in dangerous conditions. This is another example of the Biden administration being caught flat-footed as a crisis develops. Did no one in DHS think that eventually, this might happen in the Florida Keys when the Biden border crisis has been raging for two years, providing templates to migrants looking to cross into the United States, by any means possible?

In the last 24 hours, there have been five landings in the Florida Keys with a total of 90 Cuban migrants. DeSantis, as border state governors have done, spoke out to demand the Biden administration do its job and provide resources to states dealing with the Biden border crisis.

‘As the negative impacts of Biden’s lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administration’s failure falls on local law enforcement who lack the resources to deal with the crisis,’ DeSantis said.

‘That is why I am activating the National Guard and directing state resources to help alleviate the strain on local resources. When Biden continues to ignore his legal responsibilities, we will step in to support our communities.’

Earlier this week, at least 500 Cuban migrants landed in the Florida Keys. The governor’s executive order explains that the new flood of migrants is overwhelming the local Monroe County Sheriff’s office. That office has 194 deputies who are not equipped to handle the number of migrants arriving now. Calling the Biden administration “inept” in providing necessary resources, he said the Florida National Guard is needed to assist local law enforcement. The state National Guard will provide planes and helicopters to help deter migrants when possible, but also help those traveling by water in makeshift boats to make the trip more safely, avoiding death.

Earlier this week, a cruise ship rescued 24 migrants who were stranded at sea.

‘Florida has a long history of helping refugees, including Cubans and others fleeing communist regimes, find support after they arrive in the United States, however, this has always involved support from the Federal Government and a large, coordinated effort amongst state, federal and local governments,’ DeSantis said in the order.

The governor added that since last August, law enforcement has encountered more than 8,000 migrants in the waters off the Florida coast.

The number of Cubans fleeing to Florida is rapidly expanding.

About 6,180 Cubans were intercepted at sea by the US Coast Guard in the 2022 fiscal year, according to Reuters. The fiscal year ended in September, but about 3,000 more migrants arrived in mid-December.

Meanwhile, 220,000 Cubans were caught after fleeing to the US-Mexico border last year.

Over the weekend, 300 migrants arrived at the sparsely populated Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West.

Separately, 160 migrants arrived by boats in other parts of the Florida Keys over the New Year’s Day weekend, officials said.

On Monday, 30 people in two new groups of migrants were found in the Middle Keys.

The park was closed so that law enforcement and medical personnel could evaluate the group before moving them to Key West, the park tweeted.

Key West isn’t equipped to handle a large number of migrants, either. If you’ve ever been there you know it’s a small community that attracts tourists for its eccentric atmosphere. The explosion in the number of Cubans arriving comes at the same time that Biden announced that the US will begin to turn away Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans who cross illegally via boat.

Many of the Cuban migrants are landing at Dry Tortugas National Park. It’s made up of remote islands 70 miles west of Key West. There is a massive historic fort surrounded by pristine waters and reefs. Provisions are scarce and the park is manned by a small staff of rangers. Small groups of tourists and overnight campers visit the park but must bring their own food and water.

“Dry Tortugas National Park and the Marquesas are uninhabited, remote islands west of the Florida Keys without the infrastructure or means to sustain occupancy long term and accessible only by boat or seaplane,” Coast Guard Lt. Commander John William Beal told the Miami Herald on Thursday. “It can take hours or days for emergency services to reach the islands depending on weather and other logistical factors, including migrant interdictions or landings elsewhere.”

The total number of migrants that landed at Dry Tortugas National Park over the long weekend was 427. That is unsustainable for one of the most remote parks in the country.

So far Governor DeSantis is simply telling people to stay tuned when he is asked what he will do with the flood of migrants. I’m thinking Martha’s Vineyard and other sanctuary cities and states should get ready for some new arrivals.