Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he is sending 1,000 National Guard troops from his own state to Texas in order to protect the border.
He will also send troops from the Florida State Guard, a civilian emergency response re-established in 2022, to help Texan Governor Greg Abbot stop the influx of illegal immigration. It is the first time the group will be deployed outside of the state.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, DeSantis said: “We are here to join as Floridians to say that we need to stop this invasion at our southern border once and for all.”
“Biden has the authority to close this border today,” DeSantis said, whilst standing in front of a sign that said “stop the invasion”.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has vowed to send 1,000 troops to the US-Mexico border to support Greg Abbott
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“If he wanted to, he lacks the will to get the job done. He lacks the capacity to see the problem for what it is and to get the job done.”
He added: “We have stepped up probably more than any other state and were proud to do that. However, we don’t think this is enough. I believe that a state has a right to fortify its own borders.”
The additional deployments are in addition to the 90 officers already stationed at the border, made up of various state agencies in Florida.
It comes amid an ongoing row between the Biden administration and Abbot on how to best control the influx of migrants that are crossing over the US-Mexico border daily.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Biden are at loggerheads on how to deal with the influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border
ReutersAbbott instructed state troopers to install a long stretch of concertina razor wire along the Rio Grande River, near the border city of Eagle Pass.
The Biden administration fought back against the installation of the wire, asking the Supreme Court to allow Border Patrol agents to cut down the razor wire installed on the US-Mexico border.
The Supreme Court ruled in the US government’s favour earlier this month, but Texas has vowed to continue to install more razor wire.
“We are putting up wire ... everywhere we can. We will continue. We will not stop," Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick said told Fox News.
“If they cut it, we will replace it.”
Razor and concertina wire was installed by the Texas National GuardReutersLast week, 25 Republican governors released a joint statement in solidarity with Abbot, praising him for “stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country”.
More than one million migrants have entered the US since Joe Biden became President nearly four years ago.
The US migrant crisis has become a key battleground ahead of the 2024 presidential election in which Joe Biden is expected to face off against Donald Trump in what would be a rematch of the 2020 contest.
In the 2023 fiscal year, the US Border Patrol recorded 2,063,692 encounters with undocumented immigrants.
The number fell from the record high reached in 2022.