In a series of moves by the governor's office to combat our nation's immigration crisis, Governor Ron Desantis has now vowed to help Texas after their governor pleads to the federal government for more assistance.
This letter by Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has spurred states like Idaho and Florida to lend a hand.
The letter reads:
"The flood of illegal border activity invited by the Biden administration flows directly across the southern border into Texas communities, but this crisis does not stop in our state."
It furthers, "In the federal government's absence, we, as governors, must band together to combat President Biden's ongoing border crisis and ensure the safety and security that all Americans deserve."
Those words prompted Governor Ron Desantis to say on Tuesday he will be sending over 1,000 of the state's assets, from FHP to FWC, and the Florida National Guard to help Texas for at least 31 days to help deter, detect, and interdict criminal activity along our southwest border.
It's a request being fulfilled through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which allows states to assist one another in times of disaster or emergency.
Florida's governor has stated in the past that what is happening now is a time of crisis created by President Joe Biden.
In a past conference, he shared, "Where is this president's energy? Where is his vigor? Where is his commitment to the cause? He's just sitting around doing nothing."
Desantis last week tried to combat the 'crisis' by passing legislation ahead of Title 42 ending that created stricter penalties for those who knowingly hire or transport undocumented migrants in the state.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security says states do not have the jurisdiction to enforce immigration laws and that the federal government's response.
In a conference Wednesday, the Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security said something states can do is conduct coordinated efforts.
He stated, "Governor Desantis and Abbott take actions that are being used for purely political reasons and do not involve the kind of coordination that we really need to see at the border. We are confident in our men and women at the frontline's ability to conduct their border operations in a safe, humane and secure manner, and we again call on the governors to make sure that any steps they take are done in coordination with our federal personnel."
The DHS head also shared that the border is seeing a steady decrease in encounters after Title 42 ended last week. Since May 12, the daily average of encounters at our southwest border is just over 4,000.
Before Title 42 ended, the border saw an average of more than 10,000 people daily.
