On Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the dispatch of members from the Florida State Guard, a civilian military force under his jurisdiction, along with other state resources, to the U.S.-Mexico border. The purpose is to assist Texas in addressing what he termed an “invasion.”
This move comes amid a standoff between Texas and the Biden administration concerning efforts to prevent migrants from crossing into the state using a concertina-wire barrier.
In January, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration, allowing federal officials to dismantle state-erected barriers. Despite this, Texas officials have pledged to continue building such barriers if they are taken down.
“The goal is to help Texas fortify this border, help them strengthen the barricades, help them add barriers, help them add the wire that they need so that we can stop this invasion once and for all,” DeSantis stated at a news conference in Jacksonville.
DeSantis’ choice to deploy Florida personnel to Texas to secure the border, funded by taxpayers, is part of his ongoing efforts to position himself as a prominent opponent to President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
Since 2021, he’s allocated over $15 million to immigration-related initiatives, claiming they’ve curbed migrant crossings in the Florida Keys and supported Texas border enforcement.
These actions, coupled with his pledges to employ “deadly force” against suspected drug traffickers, were central to his unsuccessful presidential bid aimed at courting conservative voters.
Now refocusing on the issue, DeSantis, no longer a presidential contender, is once again asserting his executive authority.
He asserts that the border situation is pivotal to the country’s identity, echoing sentiments shared by other conservatives, including former President Donald Trump, who previously characterized immigrants as “poisoning the blood” of America.
