A growing wave of illegal immigrants arriving by sea is placing new strain on U.S. border enforcement—particularly along coastal areas—amid a maritime immigration surge that escalated under President Joe Biden.
According to experts and federal data, sea-based illegal crossings have increased in recent years due to worsening economic and political instability in countries like Haiti and Cuba. The Migration Policy Institute and U.S. Naval Institute have both warned that maritime interdiction efforts reached crisis levels by early 2023, driven by chaos in the Caribbean.
While most attention remains on land border crossings, illegal maritime entries are on the rise in places like California. On July 12, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted three individuals—two Mexican nationals and one from Turkey—attempting to enter the country by boat near Imperial Beach in San Diego County.
In a similar incident earlier this year, a vessel carrying 21 illegal immigrants was intercepted en route to San Diego. While most initially claimed to be Mexican nationals, follow-up checks revealed at least two were from Guatemala and El Salvador. All were transferred to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody.
“They don’t want anyone to drown and die trying to cross into the U.S. illegally,” said Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center. “But the Coast Guard also has to deal with smugglers who might be armed or transporting drugs.”
Florida and California Among States Hit by Maritime Migration
In February, the Coast Guard intercepted a 30-foot boat carrying 132 Haitians just south of the Florida Keys. The migrants were processed and repatriated to Haiti, but officials emphasized that the flow of illegal maritime crossings is far from under control.
Lt. Zane Carter of the Coast Guard’s District Seven said the agency remains focused on protecting U.S. shores. “We will continue to strengthen our maritime borders and stop illegal attempts to enter the United States by sea,” Carter said in a statement.
Hankinson warned that these operations pose unique risks for law enforcement, depending on the nature of the smuggling operation. “You have professional smugglers in fast boats dropping people off—those are hard to track. Then there are the overcrowded, leaky boats that are dangerously unstable. Both present serious challenges,” he explained.
A Warning from Abroad
Hankinson pointed to the U.K. as a warning sign for the United States. Nearly 20,000 people crossed the English Channel into the U.K. in the first half of 2025—a 50% increase from the same period in 2024.
“It’s tragic what’s happening in the U.K.,” Hankinson said. “There’s a case of an entire Palestinian family admitted under a program meant for Ukrainians. It’s a kind of national suicide by generosity.”
With migrant smuggling by sea accelerating and law enforcement under increasing pressure, experts warn that the situation could worsen without swift and comprehensive policy changes.
