Over the weekend, officers from the Palm Beach Police Department apprehended four individuals in connection with an “immigration incident.”
Early Sunday morning, a report surfaced regarding a “beached vessel” near 1200 North Ocean Blvd., approximately six miles from the Mar-a-Lago estate of former President Donald Trump.
The detained individuals comprised two Haitian nationals and two from Colombia. Police informed that the Colombian individuals were issued “notices to appear,” an official document by the Department of Homeland Security which starts the process for removing a foreign national.
Authorities mentioned that there may be other individuals at large beyond the four already detained.
“If you notice any suspicious persons or activities, please reach out to the Police Department at 561-838-5454,” advised the alert.
Immigration has become a significant concern for voters, especially as we approach the upcoming election in November, with a surge in border encounters. President Joe Biden’s administration has faced criticism from various quarters after restricting daily asylum-seekers to 2,500 in an executive order.
Donald Trump, gearing up for the Election Day face-off with Biden, has emphasized immigration as a key aspect of his 2024 campaign. Republicans have repeatedly accused Biden of embracing an “open-border policy,” leading to heightened migration. Trump has pledged a strict immigration policy if reelected, despite facing backlash for his past rhetoric on the issue.
Biden attributed his executive order on migration to the Republican stall on bipartisan legislation in Congress. In a recent White House news conference, he expressed, “I would have preferred bipartisan legislation to address this issue, as it’s the only way to fix our broken system, by hiring more Border Patrol agents, asylum officers, and judges. However, Republicans left me with no alternative.”