Governor DeSantis announced the deployment of Florida law enforcement officials and equipment to provide assistance to the border crisis presented in a joint letter by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey.
Over 50 Officials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have already made their way to Texas.
In a press release from the Governor’s Office discussing the issue, DeSantis states, “When the Governors of Texas and Arizona reached out for help, Florida answered the call. We are witnessing a catastrophe at the southern border under the Biden Administration. In recent months, we have seen people from the terrorist watch list, known sex offenders and a flood of fentanyl cross over the border. This is a national security crisis, and we must get it under control.”
FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen praised the officers who volunteered by saying, “Their work benefits our citizens by helping secure the border from the violent illegal aliens and human traffickers who illegally get into our country and find their way into Florida… These FDLE members thoroughly exemplify our first core value of ‘Service’ in their selfless decision to forgo enjoying barbecues and fireworks with loved ones so they can help defend their fellow Floridians and Americans.”
According to the release, the deployed officers are expected to work 16-day shifts while stationed at the border. To temporarily take their place at home, over 20 county sheriff departments in Florida have pledged support to provide staff to cover duties usually held by the deployed officers.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management is organizing the deployment of law enforcement under the national mutual aide system known as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). The EMAC authorizes states to share resources, protect deployed officers, and reimburse states for costs related to the mission.
“A lot of these states have stepped up to help us in emergency situations in the past. When we’ve had hurricane response and recovery operations, they didn’t even hesitate anytime we needed help, so we feel like it’s the right thing to do just on that,” DeSantis stated at a press conference Friday.
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Casey Owens is a contributing writer for The Florida Capital Star. Follow him on Twitter at @cowensreports. Email tips to [email protected].
