As caravans of illegal immigrants again are reportedly headed toward America’s southern border, Gov. Ron DeSantis lashed out at the Biden administration on Thursday, saying President Joe Biden’s immigration policies have been “catastrophic,” and that he’s violating his oath of office by not enforcing the law.
The Florida Republican also offered some advice for his counterpart in Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott: Instead of shipping detained illegals to other parts of America, DeSantis said, Abbott should just send them back across the Rio Grande River.
The governor made the remarks at an event in Okaloosa County, where he signed a series of bills benefiting military veterans and their families. He highlighted the state’s fight against Biden’s administration over border policies as one of several positive initiatives benefiting Floridians.
Florida has sued the Biden administration over “catch-and-release” policies, which result in illegal immigrants making their way to Florida and increasing costs for education, healthcare, and criminal-justice services. A month ago, a federal judge rejected the U.S. Justice Department’s request to toss the lawsuit.
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“We’re fighting Biden at the border,” the governor said. “They say, ‘Oh, you’re not a border state, so what do you care?’ The fentanyl comes to Florida, and a lot of these people try to come to Florida.”
“So we have a responsibility to be fighting back.”
Part of that resistance to Washington includes a bill, which DeSantis said he would soon sign, that would penalize federal contractors who “dump” illegal immigrants in the state. The governor also noted that the state budget includes $12 million to relocate illegal immigrants detained here to other parts of the nation.
If any caravans come to Florida, said Desantis, state authorities would “reroute them to Delaware and other sanctuary states.” Delaware is Biden’s home state.
Noting that a “massive, massive” caravan is now venturing north, DeSantis asked rhetorically, “What is Biden doing?”
“He’s fumbling around on late-night talk shows. He needs to get in the game here and he needs to defend our country’s sovereignty – because that’s not just going to overwhelm Texas but it’s going to overwhelm a lot of other communities throughout the United States.”
DeSantis noted that America’s southern border was not “fully sealed” under former President Donald Trump. But it was far better than the current situation.
“Now,” he added, “it’s the worst it’s ever been.”
With the outcome being rampant fentanyl smuggling, sex trafficking, and “really, really bad stuff,” said DeSantis.
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He pointed out that fentanyl overdoses are the number one killer of Americans between 18 and 45.
“That would not happen if you didn’t have the border open and this stuff pouring in in record numbers,” he said. “These policies are very destructive.”
The governor recalled that he dispatched state law enforcement officers to Texas last year to try to help police the border. Yet the federal authorities simply released many of those who were detained.
“Texas should just send them back across the border. Who cares what the feds are saying. They’re not doing their job,” DeSantis said. “Some pushback would be good.”
Abbott has been sending buses of illegals to other parts of the country. As one example, Abbott said last month that Texas had sent 900 illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C.
“I don’t think there’s been very many government failures quite as big as the border in the last year and a half,” he continued. “It’s just been absolutely catastrophic. And so the effects are being felt in every state.”
“This is not a choice. When you take an oath, you take an oath to support and defend the laws and Constitution of this country. And when you fault to do that, you’re violating the oath that you took,” DeSantis maintained.
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