Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a series of actions to curb the impact of the ongoing border crisis on the residents of the state.
According to a release from his office, DeSantis created “a strike force of state and local law enforcement to interdict human smuggling, human trafficking, and to seize illegal weapons.”
The move is similar to the actions of Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, whose state strike force has seized thousands of pounds of illegal drugs since its formation.
Additionally, the governor filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court in an effort to establish a grand jury to review “international human smuggling networks that bring aliens to the southern border, and ultimately to Florida.”
“Illegal aliens are being smuggled across the border in record numbers, which the reckless policies of the Biden administration facilitate,” DeSantis said. “Today, Florida has taken additional action to protect our state from the effects of what is a full-fledged border crisis.”
Furthermore, the governor signed Senate Bill 1808. The legislation protects the state’s resources from being used to help resettle migrants that enter the country at the U.S. southern border.
“As a mother, protecting children is close to my heart,” Attorney General Ashley Moody added. “We cannot turn a blind eye to traffickers and smugglers exploiting the border crisis to subject children to extremely dangerous conditions. I am grateful that Governor DeSantis has asked the Florida Supreme Court to have my Statewide Prosecutor impanel a grand jury to uncover the facts surrounding those in Florida who may be involved.”
In May, a record 239,416 migrants were encountered by border officials, as the numbers continue to set historic highs. Additionally, more than 1.5 million individuals have crossed the border in Fiscal Year 2022.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ron DeSantis” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Border Fence” by Tony Webster. CC BY 2.0.
