The Immigration and Naturalization Service and the State of Florida have signed an agreement to provide a joint response to what the INS calls a potential "mass influx of aliens." The agreement stems from the Cuban immigration wave in 1994 in which 32,000 Cubans sought refuge in the United States. Florida sued the US government for $1.5 billion to cover anticipated costs of taking care of the needs of the immigrants. The INS emphasized that it has no information to indicate that a mass migration is imminent.

Under the agreement, Florida will support INS operations in response to an actual or imminent mass migration into Florida. Florida would be able to provide logistical and law enforcement support to the INS upon the request of the agency and the INS will reimburse Florida for expenses incurred. Florida law enforcement officials will receive periodic training on immigration law to be better prepared to help the INS.

INS Commissioner Doris Meissner commented on the agreement:

"This MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] is the latest milestone in a continuing effort to improve coordination of the overall U.S. government response to mass migration events. It is an example of responsible government in action and demonstrates that contingency plans are in action to deal with such an emergency whenever it might occur. This signing recognizes the work accomplished to date, ratifies the procedures for coordinated response operations, and reaffirms the commitment INS and the State of Florida have made to continue the process."

The INS had been negotiating with Florida for four years prior to reaching a final agreement with Florida, the first of its type.

Under the agreement, the INS is responsible for

- functioning as the lead federal agency

- providing immigration law training to state and local law enforcement officers designated to enforce immigration law

- coordinating utilization of resources and personnel to support an operation

- coordinating the reimbursement of the state and local governments for support provided at INS' request

Florida will be responsible for the following:

- provide operational support, at its discretion, as requested by INS

- serve as a coordinator between its political subdivisions and INS

- provide law enforcement and logistics support, at its discretion, to the federal mass migration response operations as requested by INS

- maintain law and order within the state.