Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida is ‘proud to help’ secure the southern border days after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the arrival of National Guard troops from the Sunshine State.
‘We are proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis,’ DeSantis tweeted late Sunday in response to a May 23 tweet by Abbott.
‘Florida National Guard service members arrived in Texas over the weekend. Thank you to Gov. Ron DeSantis for deploying troops to support our border response,’ Abbott’s post read.
Several Republican-led states have recently announced efforts to send troops, law enforcement and other resources to help stop the surge at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Abbott said his troops are assisting in reinforcing areas of the border that otherwise lack a physical barrier to combat a migrant flow that continues to outpace the previous two years.
He added, ‘While President Biden refuses to secure the border, we’ve stepped up to fill the gaps he created.’
DeSantis announced earlier this month that his state was deploying more than 1,100 assets and resources available to assist, including 101 highway patrol personnel, 200 department of law enforcement officers, 800 National Guard soldiers, emergency management personnel, 17 unmanned drones and 10 vessels, including airboats.
‘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 said last week.
He added, ‘At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.’
‘We welcome the support from the state of Florida as they will provide additional law enforcement resources to help combat criminal activity & interdict deadly narcotics,’ said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Chris Olivarez.
The Lone Star State also recognized help and assistance from other states, including Tennessee, Nebraska, and Mississippi.
Tennessee announced a deployment of 100 National Guard members.
‘America continues to face an unprecedented border crisis that threatens our nation’s security and the safety of Tennesseans,’ Tenn. Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement on Wednesday. ‘The federal government owes Americans a plan to secure our country, and in the meantime, states continue to answer this important call to service. I am again authorizing the Tennessee National Guard to help secure the Southern border, and I commend these troops for providing critical support.’
Nebraska deployed 10 state troopers through its Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which includes drone operators to surveil the border.
‘Our nation has a serious and unchecked threat on its hands following President Biden’s decision to end Title 42,’ Nebraska Gov. Jim Phillen said. ‘Nebraska is committed to using every tool in its tool box to help stop the influx of illegal immigration at our southern border. Illegal immigration hurts our nation’s security, undermines the rule of law, and threatens the wellbeing of our state.’
Col. John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol added, ‘Our team of drone operators will provide valuable assistance to our law enforcement partners in Texas as they work to keep communities safe at the border. Our team is eager to join troopers from several other states answering Texas’ call for assistance.’
Texas has remained on the front lines of the migrant crisis since it kicked off in early 2021 – more than 1.7 million migrant encounters were reported in fiscal year 2021.
This figure rose drastically to more than 2.3 million in FY22.
So far, in FY23, there have been over 1.4 million migrant encounters recorded through the end of April.
DeSantis announced last week he is running to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election.
Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.