Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will send 800 Florida National Guard troops, drones and other assets to Texas to help with the ongoing migrant crisis, officials said Tuesday.
The Republican governor has ripped President Biden for the spiraling situation at the southern border in recent weeks, intensifying his attacks with the expiration of the Title 42 public health order which allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants.
“While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond,” DeSantis said.
“The impacts of Biden’s border crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” DeSantis added in a statement.
Thousands of migrants who have made it over the border in past months have moved into communities across the country, causing problems for Chicago and New York, and stretching local resources in Denver and other, smaller communities.
Florida will also send 300 law enforcement officers from various state agencies, along with five aircraft, 20 emergency management personnel, and two mobile command vehicles.
DeSantis has previously decried the nation’s porous southern border, highlighting the influx of fentanyl across the nation — including to Florida.
Meanwhile, Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced Tuesday he will also send a contingent of State Police troopers to Texas to help Lone State State officials parry the migrant wave.
Little, who will accompany the group, echoed DeSantis’ concerns about the impact of fentanyl on Idaho.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked both states for their help in a searing Tuesday letter to Biden.
“I thank these states for proactively addressing this crisis and request other states follow their lead in helping to secure America’s border,” he wrote.
“President Biden unleashed a nationwide crisis and subsequently denied the federal government’s responsibility to address it. However, as Texas has demonstrated, when united we can overcome any challenge together.”
Florida previously sent smaller convoys to both Texas and Arizona in 2021.
The arrangements are made possible through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which enables states to offer material assistance to each other during crises.
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Selim Algar
