Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has activated the state’s National Guard to respond to an “alarming influx” of immigrants setting sail for the United States from Cuba and Haiti.
DeSantis signed an executive order Friday to send in military to ease the burden on local law enforcement officers who have been pulled in to help Coast Guard and Border Patrol respond to hundreds of immigrant encounters since last weekend.
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“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,” DeSantis said in a statement. “When Biden continues to ignore his legal responsibilities, we will step in to support our communities.”
First responders in Monroe County, which includes Key West, were called in earlier this week to help federal authorities move and manage roughly 300 immigrants on Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of the Florida Keys.
Over the past five months, the Coast Guard and Border Patrol have encountered more than 12,000 people attempting to enter the U.S. by way of Florida without permission.
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The sheriff’s office has nearly 200 deputies but has been overwhelmed assisting in the operation in addition to normal public safety and crime matters.
DeSantis plans to send in airplanes and helicopters with the Florida National Guard and boost Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine patrols.
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DeSantis’s office knocked the Biden administration for leaving it to the state to help federal agencies respond to the influx of immigrants.
“Florida has a long history of helping refugees, including Cubans and others fleeing communist regimes, find support after they arrive in the United States, however, this has always involved support from the Federal Government and a large, coordinated effort amongst state, federal and local governments,” the governor’s office said in a press release.
