Gov. Ron DeSantis after being sworn in to serve a second term as the governor of Florida, in Tallahassee, Fla., on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. On Friday, DeSantis announced an executive order for the National Guard to assist hundreds of migrants.
AP
On Friday, Flordia’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced an executive order for the National Guard to assist hundreds of migrants as the situation intensifies and overwhelms local officials in the Florida Keys.
“As the negative impacts of Biden’s lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administration’s failure falls on local law enforcement who lack the resources to deal with the crisis,” said DeSantis in the order.
Over New Year’s weekend, at least 300 migrants landed on Florida’s Dry Tortugas National Park, with an estimated 500 in total arriving in the state of Florida, as reported by the Deseret News.
“That is why I am activating the National Guard and directing state resources to help alleviate the strain on local resources,” continued DeSantis. “When Biden continues to ignore his legal responsibilities, we will step in to support our communities.”
DeSantis said boats, planes and helicopters will be deployed to assist local organizations, including local law enforcement and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine patrol, to rescue migrants in the ocean.
Since August alone, “state and local law enforcement have encountered more than 8,000 migrants in waters off the coast of Florida,” according to the press release.
Many of the migrants are Cubans, “a politically powerful bloc of voters in South Florida that have overwhelmingly supported” DeSantis, per Politico.
On Thursday, the Biden administration proposed updated border enforcement.
Biden has not commented on DeSantis’ executive order.
Words continue to be fired between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of immigration as officers encountered 2.76 million migrants who had crossed the border illegally last fiscal year, a record as reported by The Hill.
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