MIAMI, Florida – Governor Ron DeSantis said Florida would send law enforcement and state National Guard troops to Texas to support the southern border.
In a press release issued Tuesday, Ron DeSantis said the state has more than 1,100 assets and resources to help with what he calls the “border security crisis.”
Among the resources that can be brought to the southern state are:
- 101 Florida Highway Troopers
- 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers, in teams of 40
- 20 officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- 800 State National Guard Troops
- 20 emergency management personnel, including radio technicians, logisticians, mechanics and planners
- Five fixed-wing aircraft with surveillance equipment and downlink capabilities are available with two aviation crew teams
- two mobile command vehicles and two command teams
- 17 unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and support teams are available
- 10 boats, including airboats, shallow draft boats and mid-range boats
Ron DeSantis accused President Joe Biden of refusing to secure the border during his presidency, allowing massive numbers of migrants to cross, creating a crisis that doesn’t seem to be abating.
“Communities across the country are feeling the effects of the Biden border crisis, and the federal government’s duty to undermine our nation’s sovereignty and rule of law,” DeSantis said in a statement.
“At my direction, state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are deploying to Texas with personnel, assets including boats and aircraft. While Biden is oblivious to the crisis he has created, Florida is allowing Texas to respond to this crisis. I stand ready to help,” Governor DeSantis said.
The move comes amid a phase in which DeSantis appears close to announcing whether he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election.
Ron DeSantis has made immigration a focal point during his tenure as governor, already sending law enforcement to Texas and Arizona to help with the border in 2021.
Earlier this month, DeSantis signed a comprehensive immigration bill that toughens requirements for businesses to verify the immigration status of workers and provides more funding for an immigrant resettlement program.
The Joe Biden administration announced earlier this month that it would send 1,500 active duty troops to the border when the restrictions imposed under Title 42 expire.
The number of immigrants hit the limit in the days before Title 42 expires, but officials said Monday they are starting to find fewer immigrants.
Last month, amid Biden’s announcement of his re-election campaign, administration officials announced they were planning to rapidly vet asylum-seekers at the border, deport those deemed ineligible, and those deemed illegal or arriving in another country. Will work to punish people who enter the US through Illegally.
The Biden administration also announced that they would open centers outside the United States for people to legally travel and apply to immigrate to this country, Spain or Canada. The first processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow.
