The Haitian boat people began to arrived to South Florida. Political uncertainty has contributed to a sense of desperation in Haiti which has caused many to leave in search of a better life in the U.S. Between 1972 and 1981, more than 55,000 Haitian boat people arrived in Florida. Because many of them arrived undetected, it is estimated that the actual number of Haitian boat people exceed 100,000. Some were dead during their attempt to reach Florida

Influenced by some local groups who were against immigration, the U.S. government started detained and deporting the Haitians back to their country. In September 1981, the United States signed an agreement with the Haitian government to interdict Haitian boat people at sea and return them to Haiti. Starting in 1992, the U.S. Federal government began to interdict Haitian boats and escort them back to Haiti without a chance for these immigrants to request political asylum in the United States.

As the American government was deporting Haitian boat people in mass to their country, whether they were intercepted at sea or have reached the United States, the boat people coming from Cuba were receiving different treatments. Under a policy that "wet foot/ dry foot" signed into law in 1966 by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, if an illegal Cuban immigrant makes it to American land, that illegal immigrant is allowed to stay. If he or she is caught at sea, he or she gets to return back to Cuba. This policy does not apply to any other country in the region.