Ron DeSantis backs proposed law allowing governor-controlled troops to be sent to Texas

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis affirmed his support for legislation during a press conference that would allow for Florida to send its state guard to Texas in order to help with the flow of illegal immigration into the United States.

The bill by Rep. Mike Giallombardo, R-Cape Coral, HB 1551, would allow for the Florida State Guard to occupy and operate within other states, so long as the other states have a mutual agreement on the matter with Florida.

“I think that what’s happening in Texas is not just a Texas issue, it’s an American issue,” DeSantis said. “And you have a situation where you’ve had over 8 million people pour into this country illegally just in the last three years.”

He explained that Florida has previously had people help out at the border during various surges that it experienced over the years.

“You’ve got people from China, you’ve got people from Iran, other parts of the Middle East, North Africa, Russia. This is not just people coming from Mexico,” he added.

“A lot of the people, anyone that wants to do us harm will look at that border as the easiest, softest underbelly this country has right now,” DeSantis continued.

The governor argued that the constitution was not designed for the federal government to “prohibit” states from exercising their rights. He mentioned that it was important for the states to stand up in order to “ensure the sovereignty of their territory.”

DeSantis also touched on how he has sent various people to help not just with the immigration issues in the past, but also natural disaster recovery.

He additionally spoke on why the state guard was re-established in 2022, primarily to combat the federal governments coronavirus vaccine mandates on federal troops.

“So we did the state guard partially for that, but then for partially it’s just you control your own destiny with the state guard,” DeSantis said. “I mean, the federal government will grab our national guardsman and they’ll send them all over the world in some of these missions.”

“So why should we just have people who get plucked out of here to be doing whatever these guys in Washington want,” he continued. “If these are people serving the state then we want to be able to have control over that.”

During the press conference, DeSantis was also asked his opinion on HB 1, a bill that was recently passed by the House, barring minors under the age of 16 from creating a social media account.

“To be determined,” he said in response, highlighting legal concerns that the bill may have.

“What I would say is, I’m sympathetic as a parent to what’s going on with our youth, but I also understand to just say that someone that’s 15 just cannot have it no matter what, even if the parent consents, that may create some legal issues,” DeSantis said.

“So I told the [House] Speaker [Paul Renner] I’d work with him on it, so I would say that this is something that’s likely going to evolve as it gets through the House and makes its way through the Senate, and we’ll see if we get a product that is going to be something that is good,” he added.