The governor of Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis, announced Tuesday the dispatch of troops to help Texas secure the southern border amid the immigration crisis on the southern border of the United States.
“The entire country is feeling the impacts of the Biden border crisis, and the abdication of duty by the federal government undermines our sovereignty and the rule of law,” the governor said in a statement.
DeSantis noted that state agencies, including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard, are deploying to Texas.
“While Biden is ignorant of the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis,” DeSantis warned.
The governor listed 101 Highway Patrol troopers, 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers in 40-member teams, plus 800 state National Guard soldiers and emergency management personnel, plus five aircraft, drones and boats.
DeSantis, who is expected to be announced for a possible presidential candidacy by the Republican Party, also signed a package of laws to combat human trafficking and raise awareness about the impacts of this crime, whose main activities are undocumented immigrants, the governor said.
“The Biden border crisis is exacerbating human smuggling across the country: 72% of all human smuggling victims are illegal immigrants and 60% of unaccompanied alien children crossing the border were seized by cartels and exploited for drug trafficking, or worse,” DeSantis said.
The conservative has just signed a bill in May 2022 that includes measures that make it difficult for immigrants in an irregular situation to establish themselves, such as not recognizing driver’s licenses, as well as identification cards issued by other states to “unauthorized” immigrants.
DeSantis’ focus has been on moving his agenda forward with help from the Republican-dominated Florida Congress.