DeSantis says Florida has a ‘legal work force’ despite nationwide migrant influx

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis said on CNBC that despite the border crisis and influx of illegal aliens, Florida has a “legal workforce” compared to other states facing “economic woes.”

“[Several blue cities] simply cannot afford the migrant influx,” the CNBC host said. “What’s interesting is that I do not hear a lot about economic woes from Florida […] What is the economic story of the border crisis in Florida?”

DeSantis replied that he began sending personnel to the border in Texas in 2021, but that even state action wouldn’t be enough if the federal government dragged its feet.

“We’ve since enacted policies where we have stronger penalties against people that are smuggling into Florida,” he said. “We have E-Verify. So, we have a legal workforce.”

“You can’t just come across the border illegally, and work in Florida, because we have a system in place that is guaranteeing a legal workforce,” the governor said. “Incidentally, that’s another situation where a lot of folks in the chattering class were saying that that was somehow going to be bad. For Florida. It’s turned out it’s been been good.”

DeSantis had signed legislation in 2023 that enacted stringent requirements for companies to verify their workers are in the U.S. legally.

The governor additionally pointed to a recent CNN panel becoming surprised when finding out that migrants will steal and commit crimes in places like New York, but go spend the money in Florida.

“And the question is, is why? And they’re like, ‘because if you steal in Florida, you go to jail,'” DeSantis said. “We’re serious about the rule of law down here, not just with the illegal immigration but, at large.”

“If you look at, like, San Francisco and LA, where shoplifting is legalized by these rogue prosecutors, and it is much more than just the bottom line of those companies,” he said. “It really causes the social fabric to collapse. So, we’re kind of the anti-California anti-New York when it comes to being tough on crime.”

DeSantis sent off additional personnel to the southern border last week.