Renzo Downey
Why redirect migrants to Delaware and Washington when you could send them back to Mexico?
Gov. Ron DeSantis says Texas should stave off the path of immigrants entering the country illegally by turning them around and sending them back south of the border.
“They let them come across and then you give them to the feds, and the feds just release them anyways,” DeSantis said. “What they need to do, Texas, is Texas should just send them back across the border.”
Nearly a year ago, DeSantis answered the call when Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey requested the Governors of the nation’s 48 other states send law enforcement to the southern border, calling their states ground zero for a disaster and emergency to which President Joe Biden was failing to react.
After sending 50 officers to Texas, DeSantis traveled to the Lone Star State to view the border with Abbott. What DeSantis saw has apparently stuck with him, as he called the federal border policy the last year and a half “absolutely catastrophic.”
“Who cares what the feds are saying? They’re not doing their job,” DeSantis said. “Or not let them come across the border to begin with, because they go right across the river. They just walk right across. No one’s stopping. Some pushback, I think, would be good. And I would send people to help with that.”
That pushback would likely be spearheaded by Abbott, who, like DeSantis, has become a national conservative leader. Also like DeSantis, Abbott has been floated as a possible candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Polling has repeatedly shown DeSantis outpacing Abbott in a hypothetical 2024 Primary, even in Texas. Neither Governor has expressed their intent to run despite reports they each are setting the stage to run, and reports have circulated in recent days that former President Donald Trump will soon announce a bid to retake the White House.
However, it hasn’t stopped the pair from taking cues from each other when it comes to opposing the Biden administration, including on the border.
Since December, DeSantis has proposed sending immigrants who enter the country illegally to Delaware — Biden’s home state — and other “sanctuary states.” The Florida Legislature approved $12 million for that purpose in the coming fiscal year’s budget, which DeSantis signed a week ago. DeSantis also has said he will soon sign legislation for Florida to cut ties with transportation companies if the businesses participate in programs to transport to Florida people who are in the country illegally (SB 1808).
In April, after news broke that the Biden administration planned to end Title 42 expulsions, Abbott announced a similar plan to bus migrants to the nation’s capital, first with taxpayer dollars, then with crowdfunded income. By mid-May, Abbott’s office announced Texas had sent more than 900 immigrants to Washington. Meanwhile, DeSantis’ program isn’t off the ground yet.
DeSantis and Abbott have been measuring caravans, literally.
“There’s a massive, massive caravan that’s coming towards the southern border right now. And what is Biden doing? He’s fumbling around on late-night TV shows,” DeSantis said. “He needs to get in the game here, and he needs to defend our country’s sovereignty because that’s going to absolutely overwhelm not just Texas, but it’s going to overwhelm a lot of other communities throughout the United States of America.”
Thursday afternoon, Abbott tweeted photos of him meeting with state immigration response officials.
“Met with (Operation Lone Star) agency officials today to discuss preparation and strategies for the migrant caravan headed our way,” Abbot wrote.
For DeSantis, the recent increase in migrant crossings is a public safety concern, even for non-border states. Fentanyl and human trafficking impacts.
DeSantis also suggested there also are political implications in border regions.
“All those communities now, traditionally, (have) been blue areas,” DeSantis said. “They’re all going to go very dark red and the election because of the border and because (of) a lot of these other bad policies, the wokeness and all this other stuff. People are absolutely responding, and nobody’s listening in D.C.”
Neither Abbott’s Office nor the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is analogous to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, responded to Florida Politics’ inquiry into whether Texas and state law enforcement have the authority to return immigrants to Mexico.
14 comments
Over and over
June 9, 2022 at 6:30 pm
And then come right back.
Ríñanse repeat like a tree destroying abbots legs lol
Blake
June 10, 2022 at 10:19 pm
Such a shame, ignorance and stupidity about this- I guess you will agree to fund these illegal people with all your money. I refuse.
George J Kamburoff
June 12, 2022 at 9:47 am
I do not understand why anyone would want to go to the Land of Sweat, Roaches, Gators, and Rotting Vegetation!
Impeach Biden
June 9, 2022 at 6:35 pm
Our country is being overwhelmed with illegal immigrants from over 150 countries. My tax money is going towards feeding, clothing, housing, transporting, medical care, and educating these illegals. This country is broke and we can’t even take care of our own here. Walk around any city large and small and take notice of all the homeless. This administration is completely inept. I won’t even bring up fuel prices and inflation on all consumer goods that have happened under this incompetent regime.
Ron DeSantis Sucks
June 9, 2022 at 7:29 pm
So do you want to solve homelessness? Because Democrats would love to, but Republicans are fine with them starving on the streets.
Saying we need to take care of our own makes no sense when you’re not even willing to take care of our own.
Impeach Biden
June 9, 2022 at 7:53 pm
So your fine with what’s going on? Let me guess, you are one of the 30% that says “stumbling up the stairs on AF 1” is doing a good job? Unbelievable
TD
June 9, 2022 at 11:56 pm
Exactly as the other reply comment implies: The left’s solutions ARE NOT WORKING.
PeterH
June 10, 2022 at 12:31 am
Congress is responsible for writing immigration policy.
In 2017 Trump directed Lindsey Graham to develop a bipartisan comprehensive plan with strict enforcement capabilities. Several months later Lindsey presented his plan and it was soundly rejected by Steven Miller.
Until Congress writes new legislation….. Biden must follow existing law. Perhaps the rise of Covid will enable Biden to restrict immigration.
Cyan Mule
June 11, 2022 at 7:17 pm
That is rather the point…Biden is not following existing law he is ignoring all existing law. It is pretty basic…come across the border illegally and you are immediately deported. The NGOs giving them talking points for asylum is BS. For asylum you stop in the first safe country you come to…by that metric Mexicans only can come to the US requesting asylum form south of the Rio Grande.
George J Kamburoff
June 12, 2022 at 9:49 am
If you think it is bad now, wait a few years until half of Florida is gone under the seas.
Yeah
June 10, 2022 at 11:33 am
Let me see knockout their rain Forest for my tax free House let’s not replace it to the people’s and now let’s kick them out
Nancy
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YYep
June 10, 2022 at 10:31 pm
They need those positions for the economy they say jobs you don’t want to have
Al
June 13, 2022 at 9:55 am
If you all are letting them in to flip your Burger’s so you all don’t go bankrupt better attend to their needs transportation medical housing food clothes and education along with vacation time child care with all the accessories
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