As President Joe Biden and his administration finally begin to subtly acknowledge that the illegal immigration issue at the border is a crisis worthy of attention after two years in office, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is steadily putting the White House to shame with his actions.
While thousands of illegals jump the southern U.S. border with virtually no repercussions from Biden’s White House, DeSantis took immediate action when he found out that merely hundreds of illegals are winding up on the shores of the Florida Keys.
In recent days, DeSantis, noting the “alarming influx of migrants landing in the Florida Keys,” took action by signing an executive order that activates the resources of the Florida National Guard to help contain the situation and protect island residents from the uptick in arrivals from Cuba and other Caribbean island nations.
BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis activates the Florida National Guard in response to the "alarming influx of migrants" landing in the Florida Keys
The executive order also directs state law enforcement agencies to provide resources to support local governments
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 6, 2023
“As the negative impacts of Biden’s lawless immigration policies continue unabated, the burden of the Biden administration’s failure falls on local law enforcement who lack the resources to deal with the crisis,” DeSantis said in a statement, according to Fox News.
The governor added, “That is why I am activating the National Guard and directing state resources to help alleviate the strain on local resources. When Biden continues to ignore his legal responsibilities, we will step in to support our communities.”
What a concept, right? A leader notices a serious problem and takes serious, meaningful actions to confront said problem.
Hopefully, the White House is taking notes.
And DeSantis’ executive order is the polar opposite of the lightweight reactions that the Biden administration has taken on the illegal immigration issue.
The governor’s press release said the executive order “will deploy air assets, including airplanes and helicopters from the Florida National Guard, and will bolster Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine patrol to support water interdictions and ensure the safety of migrants attempting to reach Florida through the Florida Straits.”
In other words, to hit the issue head-on, the popular Republican governor is throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at it, which is exactly how these issues must be tackled. Anything less will amount not only to utter failure but also usually triggers the exact opposite reaction, like more illegal migrants coming in.
The Hill noted:
The move comes nearly a week after local officials reported that at least 500 migrants arrived in the Florida Keys over New Year’s weekend. Roughly 300 of that number landed on islands within Dry Tortugas National Park, prompting its temporary closure. DeSantis’s office said in the release announcing the executive order that law enforcement has encountered more than 8,000 migrants off the Florida coast since August.
The release states that it has been “particularly burdensome” for the sheriff’s office in Monroe County, which is located in the Florida Keys, to provide the necessary resources to manage the hundreds of newly arrived migrants and ensure public safety.
The governor also noted in his statement that Florida has always been helpful to refugees escaping places like Cuba but said that it has always been a joint effort.
“Florida has a long history of helping refugees, including Cubans and others fleeing communist regimes, find support after they arrive in the United States; however, this has always involved support from the federal government and a large, coordinated effort amongst state, federal, and local governments,” DeSantis’ statement read.
The scale of illegals encountered in Florida obviously differs significantly from that in Texas and Arizona. Still, the key takeaway is that such crises should be countered with extreme action to — at the very least — mitigate the damage. The Biden administration has failed, probably on purpose, to take that approach.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that DeSantis, with his incredibly overwhelming response to the immigration crisis in his state, would probably take equal or more extraordinary actions if he were in charge of the nation’s immigration policy.
Wouldn’t that be nice for a change?
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