Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that he is dispatching over 1,100 assets to Texas in a bid to help Governor Greg Abbott combat the current illegal immigration crisis.
The move comes as the number of illegal border crossings hit a record high of 83,000 last week. The resources being sent include personnel, boats, planes, and vehicles from various state agencies, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and support teams.
“The impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” DeSantis stated. “At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”
The list of resources being sent by DeSantis includes 800 Florida National Guard soldiers, 101 Florida Highway Patrol troopers, 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers, 20 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, 20 emergency management personnel, and 17 unmanned aerial vehicles with support teams. Additionally, there will be ten vessels, five fixed-wing aircraft with monitoring equipment, and two mobile command vehicles with command teams.
During the press conference, DeSantis argued that the southern border crisis would worsen and disputed claims by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that illegal crossings had declined in recent days. “It’s going to be really, really bad — potentially very shortly,” DeSantis warned. He also confirmed his intention to finish building President Trump’s border wall.
“We also need to just have a policy: If you come across the border illegally, you get sent back. You don’t get a notice to appear for a trial in two years. What kind of deterrent is that? It doesn’t work,” DeSantis added. “We also have to come to terms with all the amount of fentanyl that’s coming into our country because of this border. And who’s doing it? It’s these Mexican drug cartels. They need to be held accountable. We can’t just let our people die.”
Governor DeSantis is widely expected to announce his presidential campaign soon.