Group of migrants arrives in the Florida Keys. It marks the first time in months

In what marks the first migrant arrival in the Florida Keys in several months, a small group could be seen standing alongside local, state and federal law enforcement officials on Thursday afternoon.

Whether they came in their own boat or were smuggled in is unclear. What was once a weekly, and sometimes daily, occurrence in the island chain dwindled significantly with the Trump administration's “crackdown on illegal immigration.”

They may be part of a larger group that arrived either Thursday or the day prior, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said. A law enforcement source noted it’s likely the people were dropped by boat off in Tavernier, just south of Key Largo.

Thursday’s group were detained on the southbound side of U.S. 1 in Key Largo at mile marker 101.7.

A reporter on scene observed about three men, two women and a couple of children speaking Spanish. It is unclear where the group is from.

The Herald found a pile of wet clothes, two children’s backpacks, and some food near where the group arrived at the end of the street, where the ocean starts in Tavernier, indicating they swam to shore and changed into dry clothes.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 5:42 PM.