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Governor Ron DeSantis: “My Mission-Stop The Invasion”

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Governor Ron DeSantis in Texas

Governor Ron DeSantis revealed his plan to control the southern border at an event in Texas on Monday:

Stop the Invasion

As President, I will secure operational control of our border.    

  • I will end catch-and-release. If you cross illegally, you will be detained until your hearing date.   
  • I will reimpose Remain in Mexico. If you arrive at a port of entry on the US-Mexico border claiming asylum, you will not enter the United States while your claim is being processed.   
  • I will increase Border Patrol pay to boost recruiting and ensure the Border Patrol has the necessary staffing to stop crossings.     
  • I will have DHS conduct a recruitment campaign targeting former military members and police officers for positions at CBP and ICE.  
  • I will take action to end the idea that the children of illegal aliens are entitled to birthright citizenship if they are born in the United States. Dangling the prize of citizenship to the future offspring of illegal immigrants is a major driver of illegal migration. It is also inconsistent with the original understanding of the 14th Amendment, and I will force the courts and Congress to finally address this failed policy.  
  • I will close the Flores loophole that incentivizes child trafficking.   
  • I will tax remittances from illegal aliens, with exemptions for U.S. citizens and lawfully present foreign nationals, and penalize countries attempting evasion.  
  • I will end the use of Notices to Report and any government funding for non-citizen travel.   
  • I will end the abuse of prosecutorial discretion and parole authority in immigration-related cases and deport criminal aliens.  
  • I will work with Congress and through further executive actions to strengthen and enforce E-Verify.   
  • I will defund and prosecute entities that aid or conspire to violate U.S. immigration laws.   
  • I will seek changes from Congress to strengthen penalties for human trafficking, smuggling, and reoccurring illegal reentry.   
  • I will deport visa overstays.  
  • I will allow ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers to do their jobs and focus on illegal alien entries under Biden’s border crisis and those with criminal records.   
  • I will cease funding the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations engaged in facilitating illegal alien processing, human smuggling, and encouraging mass migration on behalf of the Biden administration while seeking to reprogram that money for ICE operations.   
  • I will direct the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate Asylum Cooperative Agreements with Northern Triangle Countries immediately.   
  • I will seek changes to give immigration judges summary disposition authority and require DOJ to greatly narrow conditions for continuance, motions, and administrative appeals.   
  • I will sanction and restrict visas of countries who do not accept deportees.    
  • I will work with Panama to close the Darien Gap to prevent future caravans from South American and prevent Chinese control of the Panama Canal.   
  • I will establish priorities under the Development Finance Corporation to seek areas of opportunity with returned workforces in Central and South America for supply chain nearshoring and cooperative agreements to end migration patterns.   
  • I will also seek additional resources for CBP personnel and technology on America’s northern border.   

Build the Wall

As President, I will build the wall. No excuses.   

  • I will use the military to assist the border patrol on day one, and they will continue to help until the wall is built.     
  • There are 600 miles open along the US-Mexico border. I will use every dollar available to me as President and every dollar I can squeeze out of Congress to get it done.   
  • This will additionally include needed fiber optic security systems, lighting, and sensors for the system that CBP agents need to do their jobs.   
  • I will order the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear Carrizo cane and build navigable roads along the Rio Grande for CBP border security operations.   
  • The Left tries to make fun of a border wall, but walls work. Israel built a 152-mile-long fence along its border with Egypt. Once completed, illegal crossings dropped by more than 99% year-over-year.      

Hold Cartels Accountable

As President, I will hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable.   

  • I will declare the Mexican drug cartels to be Transnational Criminal Organizations. I will authorize sanctions on cartels, cartel leaders, and other entities known to do business with the cartels. And we will strengthen penalties for those who traffic in fentanyl, as well as those American citizens who work with the cartels.    
  • I will set up a Joint Counter-Cartel Task Force to direct and prioritize anti-cartel intelligence gathering and actions by our law enforcement and intelligence agencies.    
  • I will convene the Organization of American States to announce new diplomatic, economic, and security initiatives to deter violent cartel activity.   
  • I will authorize appropriate rules of engagement at the border so that those trying to smuggle drugs into the United States are met with the use of force. Right now, cartel operatives cut through portions of the border wall with impunity and poison our communities with dangerous drugs; that ends on January 20, 2025.   
  • And if the Mexican government drags its feet, I will reserve the right to operate across the border to secure our territory from Mexican cartel activities. If the Mexican government won’t stop cartel drug manufacturing, I will surge resources to the Navy and the Coast Guard and block precursor chemicals from entering Mexican ports.    

Work with States to Enforce the Law   

As President, I will stop DOJ from suing states when they enforce immigration laws.   

  • I will instead uphold their Article I authority to defend their state against invasion.   
  • I will impose firm penalties on sanctuary jurisdictions. If these lawless jurisdictions try to thwart federal immigration law, I will cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to them.   
  • I will seek funding to reimburse states who have been forced by Biden’s border crisis to take the direct costs on the chin.   
  • I will remove illegal aliens from census apportionment calculations.  

My Record as Governor  

Leaders of both parties have talked about border security and illegal immigration – I have acted. 

  • I signed the nation’s strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation, making E-Verify mandatory for Florida employers with more than 25 employees and suspending the licenses of any Florida employer who knowingly employs illegal aliens.  
  • That same legislation enhances penalties for human smuggling, bans local governments from issuing identification documents to illegal aliens, invalidates ID cards issued to illegal aliens in other states, and requires hospitals to collect and submit data on the costs of providing healthcare to illegal aliens.  
  • I sent Florida state law enforcement officers and equipment to Texas in 2021, where they apprehended thousands of illegal aliens and aided in hundreds of criminal arrests for felonies including human trafficking and drug smuggling.  
  • I issued an executive order that mobilized state law enforcement and National Guard resources to aid in the interdiction of more than 10,000 migrants attempting to land on Florida’s shores.  
  • I secured $24 million to facilitate the transport of illegal aliens to Martha’s Vineyard and other sanctuary jurisdictions, relieving overrun border communities and bringing the reality of the border crisis to the communities that support Biden’s open border policies.  
  • I successfully petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a statewide grand jury to examine international human smuggling networks that bring aliens to the southern border and ultimately to Florida.   

Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Operation Lone Star in Full Force as Florida Resources Arrive at Southern Border

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From the press office of Governor Ron DeSantis:

DEL RIO, Texas — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida’s assets are on-scene to assist the State of Texas with the influx of migrants illegally crossing the southern border. Last week, the State of Texas officially requested resources through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to assist in responding to the substantial public safety and national security threat posed by the federal government’s failure to secure the international border with Mexico. 

Through EMAC, states can provide resources, including personnel, to other states to assist in times of emergency. Texas and Florida are parties to this agreement and can accept support from each other at any time through an EMAC request. The EMAC process also ensures resources and personnel deployed for emergency situations are eligible for FEMA reimbursement. In 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis answered the call for support and reinforcements following a letter from Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona requesting immediate assistance with the security crisis overwhelming law enforcement at the southern border.

During Operation Lone Star from June 26 – August 14, 2021, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported the following from Del Rio and Eagle Pass:

  • 9,171 undocumented migrant contacts (7,891 adults and 1,190 children)
  • 311 criminal arrests, including:
  • 79 human smuggling
  • 16 stolen vehicles
  • 43 narcotics

Operation Vigilant Sentry at Florida’s southern border continues with the State Emergency Response Team facilitating the coordination of state assets to increase coastal vigilance and provide improved situational awareness on migrant activities. This includes working with the United State Coast Guard (USCG) Incident Management Team on migrant interdictions, repatriations, and vessel targeting. 

Florida National Guard (FLG)

  • The Florida National Guard is supporting the Texas Military Department through mission sets including static observation points, roving patrols, and engineer assistance with obstacle improvement.
  • 436 personnel have completed initial orientation, including training on the use of force and narcotic overdose medicine, and are on-scene completing mission sets alongside Texas National Guard counterparts.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)

  • Forty FDLE agents and eight support team members are deployed along the Texas border as part of Operation Lone Star. On May 19, agents were sworn in, allowing them to enforce Texas laws.
  • FDLE is assisting Texas law enforcement agencies investigating criminal activity along the border associated with human, drug, and weapon smuggling.  
  • FDLE agents have assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety with 32 arrests, including several gang members. Suspects were arrested on various Texas state charges including human smuggling, firearms, smuggling of persons, and possession of controlled substance.  
  • As part of the arrests, FDLE agents helped seize cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and a handgun with multiple boxes of ammunition.

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) – Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)

  • 101 FHP Troopers are deployed in support of Operation Lone Star.
  • Two fixed-wing aircraft are deployed, including one with monitoring equipment and downlink capabilities, for monitoring and patrol of the border.
  • Two Mobile Command Vehicles (Weslaco and Del Rio) are providing an incident command location for Command Staff and Troopers during incident responses, facilitating real-time operational command, enabling dispatch capabilities, and offering downlink options for both fixed-wing aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. Additionally, the Mobile Command Vehicles support logistical needs by assisting with trooper transportation and equipment conveyance, seamlessly transitioning from one destination to another, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and readiness.
  • Five unmanned aerial vehicle pilots with drones are deployed to assist with visualization in areas of dense foliage or low light or during night operations, including surveillance of the border.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

  • Twenty sworn FWC officers and two mechanics deployed to Texas to assist federal, state, and local agencies with response efforts. 
  • Ten shallow draft vessels capable of navigating variable depth river environments and twenty four-wheel-drive patrol vehicles are deployed.