(Andrew Powell, The Center Square) — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday the deployment of Florida National Guard troops, along with state troopers, to the southern border.
DeSantis said at a news conference in Pensacola that 76 members of the Florida Highway Patrol are being sent, while 50 National Guardsmen will also be deployed Friday night from Plant City.
“The Highway Patrol is gonna be leaving out of here momentarily, so this is part of a years-long effort for us to help do what the federal government has refused to do, which is to actually defend this country’s borders,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said that the number of people that have illegally entered across the border over the past three years has been astronomical and added that numbers have gone down thanks to the response of the Texas government and other states that are also helping stem the flow.
“We want to be a part of that, we think this is an American issue, partially just because we should have a secure country, and then partially the effects of this border invasion go to all 50 states,” DeSantis said. “We’re thankful for our folks; the morale is great, and people believe in the mission.”
DeSantis noted that National Guardsmen who are going to the border are going voluntarily and added that states can’t let the border invasion continue.
“We were the first state to really offer big support three years ago in 2021 because we saw the direction that this was gonna take, so we’re gonna continue to be in this fight until the problem is solved, and we need to have the problem solved,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis noted that the security and lives of Americans depend on having the border crisis resolved.
“The state of Florida will continue to step up where the federal government fails,” DeSantis said.
When asked about the number of military-age Chinese nationals that are illegally coming across the border — which are now larger than the number of Mexican nationals — DeSantis said he could understand why people would come from Mexico but not China.
“Why would you come from all across the world through the southern border of this country?” DeSantis said. “I think the chances are that there’s some bad intentions there for some of these people, and it’s a huge, huge problem, especially when you look at all these problem countries in this world that have had people come through.”
