DeSantis: Roughly 70% of Illegal Border Crossers Said That Florida Was Their Ultimate Desired Destination

On Saturday, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and Senate President Wilton Simpson were briefed on what 50 Florida law enforcement officials had been doing during a 23-day stint to help Texas officers secure the southern border.

Today, DeSantis tweeted out a video of the visit and shared some of the results that he had been briefed on.

DeSantis noted that “When confronted by our deployed Florida law enforcement at the southern border, roughly 70% of illegal border crossers said that Florida was their ultimate desired destination.”

“If allowed to continue by Biden, this mass migration will be a major strain on our social services, education, medical system, and taxpayers,” DeSantis added.

If allowed to continue by Biden, this mass migration will be a major strain on our social services, education, medical system, and taxpayers. pic.twitter.com/7hZX5j7Kwx

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 19, 2021

The Miami Herald gave a testimony to what DeSantis stated in an article released about his’ visit:

Four years after escaping “terror” in Cuba, traversing 13 borders, a dangerous jungle, and finally, the Rio Grande, Gelacio Vera Gonzalez and his wife, Yenedi Monterrey Mena, touched American soil for the first time in the border city of Del Rio, Texas.

They fell to their knees, looked up to the sky and thanked God while weeping. At long last, on a searing-hot Saturday afternoon, they had arrived at a place where they could speak their minds.https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=3533

“This is the only country where we have opportunity, because over there we cannot speak our mind,” Gelacio Vera Gonzalez said. “We are happy we are here, but we are thinking about the family we left behind who are still suffering from what we did.”

“There is terror in Cuba because we cannot speak,” said Monterrey Mena, who hopes to make it to Tennessee, where she and her husband have family.

Junior Sotomayor, a friend who crossed the Rio Grande with them with arms interlocked, said he wants to head to Miami, where he, too, has family.

Within seconds of touching American ground, the three Cubans were apprehended by a group of Texas law enforcement officers who began the process of turning them over to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Whether they will be deported remains unknown.

Previously, we reported:

Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is making big moves on the national scene. DeSantis has been doubling down more and more without saying the words outright, that he is becoming a Trump surrogate. Even if he doesn’t run in 2024, and Donald Trump does, DeSantis is making his name nationally. Many on the left try to use association with Trump to hurt people politically.

This doesn’t worry DeSantis though, as he is extremely well-loved in Florida and beyond, and has made a name for himself that transcends party. This doesn’t mean that he is perfect politically in our view, but it can’t be denied that his popularity is rising.

Although the same can’t be said for Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Abbott has maintained favor with former President Trump anyway, despite drawing several Republican primary opponents for his upcoming Gubernatorial re-election run in Texas. DeSantis has decided to meet with him at the southern Texas border, where Florida is assisting with the Biden Border crisis of illegal immigration surging in border states.

This is leading to illegal immigrants being relocated by the Biden administration to other states as well, making every state a border state by default. Nonetheless, Texas is the front line so to speak, and DeSantis is showing up. Yesterday he communicated with Americans via social media regarding his latest efforts:

“Today, I join Gov @GregAbbott_TX with leaders from Texas & Florida to send a clear message to Washington — our states will enforce the law while the Biden Administration neglects its duty. Law enforcement from across the country are ready and willing to help secure our border.”

“The disaster at our border is a direct result of the Biden Administration ending Trump border policies that curbed illegal immigration, the influx of drugs, and human smuggling.”

“When @GovAbbott sent out a call for help to secure our southern border, Florida answered. Today, more than 50 officers from Florida state law enforcement are deployed in Texas, fighting human smuggling and drug trafficking at the border.”

“In just 23 days, more than 50 Florida state law enforcement have helped apprehend more than 2,800 illegal aliens and assisted with more than 100 criminal arrests for felonies ranging from human smuggling to drug trafficking.”