The boat trip is a scam.
Haiti is about 750 miles from south Florida.
Haitians pay smugglers to transport them to the Bahamas.
Then another boat tows massively overcrowded throwaway open boats within a couple miles of the Florida coastline.
Fingers crossed, they drift or row or sputter their way onto the beach, and all the passengers get one foot on dry land before the Coast Guard or the Police show up.
When you consider the cost and the danger to get smuggled, I have never understood why most Haitians do not get a tourist visa, take the cheapest flight to the USA, and just over stay?
I have procedures in place when fishing far offshore of SE Florida.
Case of water
Long gun
Pistol
Process;
If we come across a raft of refugees, immediately hail USCG
Remain safe distance away, locked and loaded in the low ready. Provide water as necessary, thrown to them. Only permit children and women on board in the event their vessel is failing, immediately told to march to the bow. Others get life vests as necessary.
Muzzles always in the low ready covering potential hostility.
Desperate people will do desperate things and 20-30 miles offshore the response time is not fast. However, human compassion must be factored in plans.