Officials detain 14 migrants who came ashore in Florida

Authorities have detained 14 migrants who were traveling in a boat that came ashore hitting a sea wall in South Florida

Florida Migrants (Sun Sentinel 2021)

Authorities detained 14 migrants who were traveling in a boat that came ashore hitting a sea wall in South Florida on Thursday.

WPLG-TV reports the migrants were coming from Jamaica and had first traveled to The Bahamas. One of the migrant men told the TV station as he was being handcuffed in Pompano Beach, Florida, that he was fleeing from violence in his country.

“There’s killing going on there. We want a better life. No life is in Jamaica right now,” the man said. He was not identified by name.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

A witness said he saw the boat nearing the shore very slowly. A resident in the neighborhood said she saw one of the men run through her yard.