Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will assist residents who are being held responsible for vessels used by migrants to reach the state.
Hundreds of boats have been left behind during the recent migrant surge, WSVN reported, and homeowners were told that they are responsible for getting rid of the vessels.
"There's vessels left everywhere [on] people’s property," DeSantis said during a press briefing on Thursday. "We declared a state of emergency. We provided [the] Coast Guard the assistance that they’ve asked for. We are going to clear the vessels free of charge for those residents because it wasn’t their fault.
"Maybe we’ll send the bill to [President Joe] Biden. We’ll see."
Florida's Division of Emergency Management on Wednesday tweeted a phone number for homeowners to report an abandoned migrant vessel and said, "The state will remove these vessels for you free of charge."
The issue became a focus earlier this week after WSVN reported that local residents are responsible for taking care of vessels left on private property after migrants make landfall.
Florida Fish and Wildlife confirmed to the network that homeowners are responsible for the boats.
"The [city] code enforcement officer told me it was up to me to clean and sterilize the boat," said Key Colony Beach homeowner Jack Bartkus, who had a boat left in his front yard. "There’s diesel fuel on there. I mean, you can’t have an oil spill, and to have this thing floating around out in the water, it’s unsafe for other people."
Bartkus and his wife, Sue, were told that if the boat is "allowed" to drift out to sea, that could result in a felony charge. They ultimately spent $2,500 to remove the boat.
"[The official] said, 'Well, if it goes out there, I’m going to consider it a push off your part,'" Sue said. "I said 'Really?' I mean, so you’re just supposed to let it destroy your pier, your docks, your sea walls, and you're supposed to have to get rid of it?"
Cubans and Haitians have been fleeing their respective countries to get to the U.S. They often use self-made boats, many of which are poorly built wooden vessels.
The Florida Keys and Miami Beach areas have become accustomed to migrants landing on their beaches, or being apprehended while trying.
Sue said she was sitting having coffee when her granddaughter came running in and said, "Did you see what’s out in front?"
A Cuban boat sat in their yard. Sue and her husband notified local police, who had marked the boat "OK" in bright orange spray paint, meaning no one was left on board.
"[The police] told me that they thought there would be about 20 people that rode on this boat from Cuba, and they took the people into custody, and they didn’t do anything with the boat,” Jack said. "They left it here, and they just discarded it, so it became my problem."
He said his property "was littered with clothes and blankets," with backpacks and shoes across the street.