Members of the Florida National and State Guard, along with the Florida Highway Patrol, are heading to the U.S.-Mexico border under the directive of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis made the announcement Thursday that he's deploying a battalion of roughly 1,000 National Guardsmen to Texas. The governor said he will send troops to assist Texas state officials in their efforts to provide additional security to the area.
“States have every right to defend their sovereignty and we are pleased to increase our support to Texas as the Lone Star State works to stop the invasion across the border,” DeSantis said during a press conference.
Why Texas?
Last year Gov. Ron DeSantis made headlines when it was learned that flights from Texas carrying undocumented immigrants to places like California and Martha’s Vineyard, were paid for by Florida. DeSantis and fellow Republicans have made immigration, specifically the southern border, a rallying point deriding what they see as weak federal immigration enforcement and policies that allow drugs and other criminal activity to seep into the U.S.
“If we don’t have a border then we are not a sovereign country," said DeSantis. You either have a border or you don’t. You’re either a sovereign country or you’re not.”
DeSantis also said Florida state agencies have for years been working in Texas to ensure drugs, guns, or illegal immigrants are being kept out of the U.S.
“We‘ve had people on the ground there since 2021," said DeSantis. We’ve had Florida National Guard, Florida Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife, Florida Department of Law Enforcement...you name it. They have been there, and they’ve been making a big, big difference.”
The purpose of the Florida State Guard
This is the first time Florida’s newly revived State Guard volunteer force will travel out of state. The Florida State Guard (FSG) is made up entirely of civilians and has only been used in storm related incidents.
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In December, the group was activated twice in response to tornadoes in areas of the Florida Panhandle. But Florida State Guard Director Mark Thieme told DeSantis on Thursday that his team is up to the task.
“The Florida State Guard is postured to deliver rapid response to any and all threats to public safety... whenever and wherever the need arises," said Thieme.
Meanwhile, Texas is in its own legal battle with the federal government over its border security measures. DeSantis has already tasked soldiers with putting up new razor wire barriers and installing enough fencing as needed.
Watch Thursday's press conference below: