At a press conference in Jacksonville, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Thursday his desire to implement an $8 million program to transport illegal aliens out of Florida. Also, a part of the plan would be to limit access to state contracts for contractors that hire and transport illegal immigrants “knowingly and recklessly.”
“One of the priorities that we’ve been working on for many months now and we’ll continue to work with the Legislature when they get back is dealing with the fallout from the reckless border policies of the Biden administration,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis, while calling out President Joe Biden and his policies by name, also suggested a “tongue in cheek” method of transportation for the illegal aliens.
“It’s somewhat tongue in cheek, but it is true,” DeSantis said. “If you sent them to Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard or some of these places, that border would be secure the next day.”
In an official press release, DeSantis pointed out that he has a responsibility to “the rule of law” and “to the Constitution.”
“We have a responsibility to stand up for the rule of law, we have a responsibility to the Constitution, and we have a responsibility to stand up against an administration that has decided they don’t want to have a secure border,” said DeSantis. “These are a robust series of proposals and I believe we are going to get a lot of support from the legislature. The laws of our country require us to enforce the law and that is what needs to be done.”
DeSantis was joined alongside numerous Northeast Florida officials, including Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL-4), Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry (R), and Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams. Williams thanked DeSantis for his effort to keep Florida safe and said the current illegal immigration policies create an environment of the “unknown.”
“I am grateful that the Governor has not wavered in his efforts to keep Florida safe and in his support for those men and women on the front lines working hard at it every day,” said Williams. “I think it is important that the people of Jacksonville and all across our state understand the concerns we are all facing and how it should matter to everyone. If it is our job in law enforcement to keep our communities safe, that job is challenged when we have work with nothing more than the unknown.”
On Twitter, DeSantis outlined the details of his proposal.
“The failure to secure our nation’s border is affecting communities across our state & nation,” DeSantis said. “Today, I outlined additional proposals for consideration in the next legislative session that will protect Florida from the Biden Admin’s reckless border policies.”
The failure to secure our nation’s border is affecting communities across our state & nation. Today, I outlined additional proposals for consideration in the next legislative session that will protect Florida from the Biden Admin's reckless border policies https://t.co/1yRVgUtoym pic.twitter.com/8KZkxNfUcb
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 10, 2021
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Background Photo “Greyhound Bus” by An Errant Knight. CC BY-SA 4.0.
