DeSantis declares state of emergency, calls for activation of Florida National Guard due to influx of 'unauthorized aliens'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency related to the arrival of "unauthorized aliens" in Florida.
The executive order calls for activating the Florida National Guard as necessary to handle the emergency.
"Because of the foregoing conditions, I hereby find that the migration of unauthorized aliens to the State of Florida is likely to constitute a major disaster. I therefore declare that a state of emergency exists in the State of Florida," the executive order declares. "I order the Adjutant General to activate the Florida National Guard, as needed, to deal with this emergency."
The move comes as massive numbers of immigrants continue to inundate America's southern border — U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports massive numbers of southwest land border encounters month after month.
Florida has been experiencing immigrants arriving by water. "During the past 24 hours, Border Patrol agents & LE partners responded to 5 migrant landings & encountered 90 Cuban migrants in the Florida Keys. The migrants arrived on rustic vessels & residents notified local authorities," U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar tweeted on Friday.
Dry Tortugas National Park, which is to the west of Key West, Florida, was recently closed to public access because of immigrants arriving there, but is slated to reopen January 8.
DeSantis, a Republican, was recently sworn in for his second term.
"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, according to a press release. "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."
