Republican Govs. Ron DeSantis and Kristi Noem pledged this week to send state law enforcement officers to help Texas and Arizona curb illegal immigration at the border. The governors’ decisions come amid nationwide frustrations on the federal government’s lack of attention to the border crisis.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Saturday became the latest governor to announce that her state is interested in helping Texas address the border crisis, according to remarks on Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends.”
“Well, securing that border is a national security issue, and we in South Dakota are evaluating that,” said Noem. “We’d love to help and we’re working through that process to see if that’s something that we could make possible.”
Noem’s move comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated in a press conference last Wednesday that he is sending officers from 12 Florida law enforcement entities to Arizona and Texas. These entities include the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and nine county sheriff’s offices, Fox News reported.
“Last week, Texas and Arizona called for help to secure the southern border. I’m proud to announce that Florida is stepping up to help the effort and to protect our residents from the harms caused by open borders,” DeSantis wrote on social media.
When pressed by local media as to why Florida is sending help to the border, DeSantis, standing alongside several law enforcement officers, defended the decision stating that consequences of the border surge ultimately affect all Americans. With open borders, copious amounts of illegal drugs are pouring into the country which will trickle down to Floridian communities and many others across America.
“That meth is coming from the southern border, let’s just be honest. If that border was under control, we would have less meth pouring into Florida communities, in particular to the northern part of the state. We think that if we are able to bring it under control, that it will benefit Floridians,” DeSantis stated.
Irene Armendariz-Jackson, a Republican candidate for Texas’ 16th Congressional District, told RSBN in an exclusive interview that she is optimistic about the help from Florida and South Dakota, which she calls a “glimmer of hope,” but added it can only go so far as the immigration crisis is just one symptom of a broken justice system at large.
“Law enforcement might be a glimmer of hope stopping some of the drugs; Border Patrol is processing a lot of immigrants and many checkpoints remain closed, which means drugs are pouring in and human trafficking is running rampant. This is an opportunity for state officials to be able to make an impact [there]. But will they go to state jail or be placed through the system? I just don’t know. Do I have hope? Of course, I have hope, or else I would never be running. But we have to understand we can’t keep doing things the same way.”
Remarks by Irene Armendariz-Jackson, candidate for TX-16, in an exclusive interview with Vianca Rodriguez, RSBN.
Armendariz-Jackson has first-hand knowledge of the border crisis as a resident of El Paso, Texas, and wife of a Border Patrol agent. She is running for Congress with the goal of helping communities that have been impacted by the high influx of illegal immigration as well as drugs and human trafficking.
“You and I the taxpayer are paying bills for very expensive surgeries and when illegal immigrants are in the hospital, Border Patrol agents there are making sure they don’t escape…We have a complete breakdown of our justice system, and our immigration system falls under that,” Armendariz-Jackson stated. “If we don’t enforce the laws, why would we expect them to respect them?”
It’s a pressing concern that will likely be addressed in the coming days as Kamala Harris races to the border on Friday before President Trump arrives on Wednesday, June 27.
