Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced the state of Florida has rescued 722 Americans from Haiti since evacuation operations ordered by the GOP governor began last month.
“The State of Florida doesn’t shy away from doing the right thing and helping Americans in need,” DeSantis said in a statement. “I’m proud to announce that despite the lack of cooperation from the federal government, more than 700 Americans have been successfully evacuated from Haiti to Florida.”
I am proud to announce that Florida has now rescued over 700 Americans from Haiti.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 24, 2024
Florida stands ready to help when Americans are in need. I want to thank @FLSERT and all state agencies who worked tirelessly to bring these folks back home safe and sound. pic.twitter.com/kE0qkNiN17
Haiti has descended into violent anarchy as gangs control the vast majority of Port-au-Prince and have carried out attacks on civilians, police, and critical infrastructure.
The statement from DeSantis's office noted that American evacuees have been provided with food, water, medical treatment, and transportation home, among other resources.
“Evacuating our residents has been challenging, and I am incredibly proud of the hard work our State Emergency Response Team, private and nonprofit partners have done to bring Americans home and accommodate their needs upon returning to Florida,” said Division Executive Director Kevin Guthrie. “We will always stand ready to support our residents and I thank Governor DeSantis for giving us the opportunity to do so in any crisis.”
This is the second time during the Biden administration that DeSantis has rescued Americans abroad during times of crisis. Following Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Florida brought more than 700 Americans back from Israel.