Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he would send over 1,100 members of the National Guard and law enforcement officials to Texas to help secure the border between Mexico and the United States.
The Republican governor said he would send 800 soldiers, 101 state troopers, 200 Florida Department of Law Enforcement personnel, and 20 wildlife officers.
A news release states that Florida will also deploy ten boats, 17 drones, two command vehicles, and five planes. Since the expiration of the pandemic-era asylum restrictions last week, state and federal officials have expressed worry about a potential spike in border crossings.
"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," DeSantis said.
The US-Mexico Border Appears Much Calmer Today
Border crossings have dropped since Title 42 expired. The transition appears to be going smoothly.
However, the GOP leaders are trying to make it look like things are getting worse.
Gov. Greg Abbott wrote to the nation's governors on the same day that DeSantis declared, urging them to back his border security initiative now that the pandemic-era health law known as has expired. This policy allows Federal border officers to send undocumented immigrants back to Mexico.
According to Abbott, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact permits states to pool resources during disasters and allows interstate cooperation.
DeSantis previously dispatched support to the U.S. southern border in Texas and Arizona in 2021 in response to requests for assistance from the governors of both states.
DeSantis has prioritized immigration during his tenure as governor and will soon declare his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election.
A comprehensive immigration package DeSantis signed into law last week strengthens his migrant relocation program and restricts social benefits for people without permanent legal status.
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