CLOSE

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday will make her first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border, after she has faced criticism for failing to go there despite her role leading the Biden administration’s response to a steep increase in migration. (June 23) AP Domestic

Fifty state law enforcement officers are deploying to the U.S. southern border in Texas, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced during a press conference Friday at an Interstate 10 weigh station in Pensacola near the Florida-Alabama state line.

DeSantis said the 50 officers deploying may be the first wave of others that the state will send in response to a call for assistance from Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

"We're thankful for these folks being willing to step up, and being willing to help an issue that's causing a lot of problems, obviously, in some of our friendly states," DeSantis said Friday. "But also, it is causing a lot of problems in these United States."

DeSantis: Florida to send law enforcement to Mexico border to combat immigration 'crisis'

First 100 days: Joe Biden’s immigration agenda overshadowed by migrant challenges in first 100 days

In related news: Gov. Kim Reynolds approves sending Iowa State Patrol troopers to US-Mexico border, to assist with rise in migrants

The two governors sent a joint letter earlier this month to the governors of the 48 other states asking them to send additional law enforcement staff and resources to help patrol their states' borders with Mexico.

DeSantis was the first governor to respond when he announced last week in Pensacola that Florida would be sending assistance. So far, the governors in Nebraska and Idaho have also committed to sending assistance.

"The request overall nationwide, they needed about 500 personnel, so Florida is filling up a sizable chunk of that," DeSantis said.

Where will the officers come from?

The 50 officers will come from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The officers will also be bringing state equipment with them such as a mobile command center, several airboats and off-road vehicles.

"They will have other types of equipment that will be deployed to be able to assist as the folks in Texas deem appropriate," DeSantis said.

The deployment is in response to an increase in the numbers of immigrants coming across the border that the Republican governors of Texas and Arizona say the federal government is not doing enough to stop.

The three governors who have agreed to send assistance are also all Republicans.

DeSantis said Friday that when he met with sheriffs in Pensacola last week, their No. 1 concern was methamphetamine that's being manufactured in Mexico and trafficked into Florida.

"You used to have where people would cook it themselves and all this stuff," DeSantis said. "That is just not what's happening. What's happening is a massive amount of drugs moving in from the southern border. So this has real effects on Florida communities."

How will the deployment of officers to Texas be paid for?

Florida is sending the officers under a federal Emergency Management Assistance Compact that allows states and territories to share resources when responding to emergencies. The compact is usually used in response to natural disaster, and often the federal government and the state receiving assistance will reimburse some of the cost of the response.

DeSantis said Friday exactly how the deployment will be paid for is still "a point of discussion."

"Typically, if someone would help us, we would pick up some of their funding, and so that's how we would hope that it goes," DeSantis said. "But we don't anticipate getting any federal funds now."

Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.

Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2021/06/25/desantis-send-50-florida-officers-help-texas-southern-border/5344834001/