The Nassau Guardian
More illegal migrants captured on Long Island
As police and immigration officers continued to comb Long Island for more Haitian migrants after a large group landed and evaded capture on Tuesday, another seven men were apprehended yesterday, Director of Immigration William Pratt said.
Police said a “large group” of Haitian migrants landed at Turnbull around 2 p.m.
Within hours police captured 31 Haitian migrants — 28 men and three women — in the surrounding area.
Another nine Haitian migrants were apprehended before 9 p.m., according to police.
Pratt said yesterday reports suggest there could be more Haitian migrants hiding out on the island, though the number was unclear.
“We still have officers on Long Island with the police and customs and they are still combing the bushes to search for additional people,” he said.
“We don't know at the end of the day what the total number will be, but we continue our efforts.”
Pratt expressed confidence that the remaining Haitian migrants would be found and arrested.
He confirmed that the captain of the Haitian sloop has been identified and was being questioned by authorities on New Providence.
The 46 Haitian migrants captured up to yesterday afternoon are expected to be repatriated next week, according to Pratt.
Two hundred and twenty-eight Haitian migrants captured last month were repatriated on Tuesday on two separate flights.
A third flight was canceled because of a technical decision by the pilot, Pratt said.
Authorities had planned to repatriate 114 migrants aboard that flight. Many of them were aboard a Haitian sloop that ran aground in the Exumas last week.
Those migrants are also expected to be repatriated next Tuesday.
“Other than that delay we would have had a relatively empty detention center,” Pratt said, noting that a group of Cuban migrants was also repatriated last Thursday.
Six Cuban migrants remained in the detention center up to yesterday.
Pratt said three of those migrants previously lived in the Untied States and the government is working with the United Nations and U.S. government to determine if they can return to the United States.
“It is a challenge, but we are working with the U.N. and U.S. government through diplomatic channels to see if we can get those former residents to the United States or a third party country,” he said.
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