On Friday (January 6), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis activated the state’s National Guard to secure the Florida Keys, describing Biden’s response to a surge of illegal migrant crossing as “inept.”
DeSantis blamed the Biden administration for the mass migration, saying they “failed to provide the resources necessary to respond.”
In his order, the Florida Governor also directs local law enforcement and state agencies to aid in responding to an increase in migrant landing along the South of Florida.
DeSantis explained why he was activating the state’s National Guard, saying it had to be done because of “the negative impacts of Biden’s lawless immigration policies” that were straining “local law enforcement, who lack the resources to deal with the crisis.”
The Florida Governor asserted that Biden’s disposition to “ignore his legal responsibilities” meant Florida’s government would “step in to support our communities.”
DeSantis’ decision to activate the National Guard comes as the state experiences a sharp increase in migrant crossing, with Border Patrol agents encountering 90 Cuban migrants on Thursday (January 5).
Thursday’s encounter comes after 300 migrants entered Dry Tortugas National Park on Sunday (January 1), and a further 45 entered Key West on the same day.
According to DeSantis, the state’s law enforcement has had roughly 8,000 migrant encounters since August 2022.
He noted the state’s history of helping refugees from communist nations like Cuba but emphasized that the help was possible because of the “support from the federal government,” which formed part of “a large, coordinated effort amongst state, federal, and local governments.”
