Citing an uptick in crime and concern over national security, Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide details about illegal immigrants that are resettled in Florida by September 30.
In June at the request of governors from Texas and Arizona, DeSantis deployed personnel from Florida law enforcement agencies to those states. During a press conference announcing the deployments, DeSantis blamed an increase in drug and human trafficking on the resettlement of illegal immigrants to Florida.
Later, DeSantis said that Florida law enforcement personnel made more than 2,000 apprehensions, more than 100 felony arrests and that 70 percent of those interdicted identified Florida as their ultimate destination.
In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, DeSantis asked that by September 30 the agency provide the FDLE with detailed information about illegal aliens resettled in Florida including the number of those resettled in Florida; the names and destination of the illegal aliens; the number of illegal aliens resettled in Florida who were tested for COVID-19 and the results of those tests; the identities of illegal aliens who have criminal records and who have previously entered the U.S. illegally; and the number and identity of illegal aliens resettled in Florida who have failed to appear for their removal proceedings.
“I ask that DHS at a minimum provide advance notice to and consultation with the State of Florida, specifically with FDLE, before any illegal aliens apprehended at the border are resettled to Florida,” DeSantis wrote in his letter.
DeSantis’ letter was concurrent with US Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) request that the DHS disclose what steps it has taken to ensure that terrorists released by the Taliban are not able to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
