During a campaign trip to the southern border of the United States this week, Republican presidential hopeful and governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, unveiled his strategy to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
DeSantis unveiled his proposed immigration policy for his upcoming administration during an event with Texas Representative Chip Roy (R). In the GOP primary of 2024, he aims to gain an advantage against former President Trump, who is leading the field of candidates from that party.
President Biden was blasted by DeSantis over the border situation, where record amounts of illegal immigrants have been entering the country since Biden entered office. The governor of Florida similarly made fun of Trump, pledging to strengthen border security even farther than the previous administration had.
According to The Washington Examiner, DeSantis stated in a statement, “For decades, officials from both parties have delivered bogus promises on border security, and now it’s time to take action to halt the invasion once and for all. On my first day in office, I am going to declare a national emergency, and I won’t stop until we finish the wall, stop all unauthorized entrance, and triumph over the drug cartels. No justifications. We’ll complete it.”
“Building the wall,” “holding cartels accountable,” “halting the invasion,” and “collaborating with states to enforce the law” are the four pillars of DeSantis’ “No Excuses” policy.
The DeSantis proposal calls for a number of changes, including the abolition of Biden’s parole program, which the administration has credited with reducing border interactions with illegal immigrants since Title 42 was repealed this past month. DeSantis also pledged to reinstate Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy and halt the catch-and-release strategy used by Biden.
The pledge makes the promise to “construct the wall.” Use the American military to assist Border Patrol personnel and say “no excuses.” It outlines tactics that include intensifying the war against drug cartels, designating them as transnational criminal organizations, and defining “rules of engagement” for American soldiers engaged in border cartel warfare.
“When I look at the border issue, and some people—some in the media, others with particular political views—just dismiss it as sort of a Texas issue or an Arizona issue. But I am here to clarify for you that in the event that you don’t manage your own border, it’s an issue for the United States,” DeSantis said this week to a gathering of supporters in Texas.
DeSantis praised his immigration policy in Florida, including controversially flying undocumented people to self-declared sanctuary areas in California, Massachusetts, and Martha’s Vineyard. DeSantis also sent soldiers of the Florida National Guard to aid Texas on two different occasions.
