DeSantis deploys additional Florida National Guard troops to southern border

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Friday that he would deploy an additional round of Florida National Guard troops to Texas in an effort to bolster security on the southern border.

DeSantis said in his announcement that the next deployment would consist of 50 National Guardsmen and 76 Florida Highway Patrol Troopers.

“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 Friday, standing in front of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement building. 

“You’ve seen numbers that have been astronomical over these last three years,” DeSantis continued. “I know that what has been happening in Texas has been effective. You’ve seen the numbers go down. And that’s really because you have Texas putting forth huge effort and then all these other states coming by to help, so we want to be a part of that. We think this is an American issue.” 

Earlier this week, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) announced she was deploying 60 soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border, joining a growing list of Republican leaders backing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) “Operation Lone Star” agenda and standoff with the federal government over the influx of migrants at the border.

Abbott has appeared to defy a Supreme Court order that granted the Biden administration authority to remove razor wire barriers near the Rio Grande by continuing to add wire. The Texas governor justified his decision to ignore the court’s ruling by claiming that his authority to address the “invasion” on the border of his state “supersedes” federal law. 

During the Friday address, DeSantis also touched on the rise of what he claimed were Chinese nationals coming into the country via the southern border. 

“You got massive numbers now Chinese coming across the border,” DeSantis said. “This is incredible that we be allowing people from all over the world who we have no idea of who they are, that they’re just being able to pour in to this country.” 

This is not the first time DeSantis has sent troops to the border. In early February, he announced he would offer up to 1,000 National Guard members to Texas.

“The Biden Border Crisis has made every state a border state, requiring the states to step up and defend our territorial sovereignty,” DeSantis said in Friday’s announcement. “I want to extend my sincerest thanks to every law enforcement officer, National Guardsman and member of the State Guard who is serving in Texas.”