DeSantis 'proud to help' Texas border crisis by sending Florida National Guard 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is “proud to help” secure the southern border amid the immigration crisis by sending National Guard troops to Texas. 

"We are proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis," DeSantis tweeted late Sunday, in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that the troops from the Sunshine State had arrived. 

“Florida National Guard service members arrived in Texas over the weekend. Thank you to Gov. Ron DeSantis for deploying troops to support our border response," Abbott posted. 

“While President Biden refuses to secure the border, we’ve stepped up to fill the gaps he created,” Abbott continued. 

We are proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis. https://t.co/p8HIFLOFJu

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 28, 2023

Florida is one of the several Republican states that have announced their intention to support the border crisis by sending troops and other resources to help address the ongoing immigration crisis at the southern border. 

On May 16, DeSantis announced that he was sending more than 1,100 assets to Texas, including Florida Highway Patrol Troopers, Department of Law Enforcement Officers, Fish and Wildlife Commission Officers, National Guard Soldiers, and Emergency Management Personnel.

Additionally, the governor said he was sending five fixed-wing aircraft, two mobile command vehicles, 17 drones, and 10 vessels. 

“The impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis are felt by communities across the nation, and the federal government’s abdication of duty undermines the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law,” said DeSantis, who announced his presidential campaign last week, in a statement last week.

“At my direction, state agencies including law enforcement and the Florida National Guard are being deployed to Texas, with assets including personnel, boats, and planes. While Biden ignores the crisis he created, Florida stands ready to help Texas respond to this crisis.”

Other states that have sent assistance to the Lone Star State include Tennessee, Nebraska, and Mississippi. Tennessee deployed 100 National Guard members to the border. Nebraska deployed 10 state troopers, including drone operators. 

The southern border has reported more than 1.4 million undocumented migrant encounters so far in Fiscal Year 2023, which began in September of last year.