Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that Florida will deploy an additional 1,000 National Guard members to assist Texas in securing the southern border. This move comes as a response to the shifting trend of illegal crossings, with a significant majority now happening in Arizona and California rather than Texas counties. Recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reveals that out of the 32,809 illegal immigrants apprehended in the last week of January, 71.8% were in Arizona and California. Notably, the numbers in Texas’ Del Rio sector, including Eagle Pass, have drastically decreased. In December, the sector saw thousands of illegal crossings per day, but over the past week, it has averaged only around 200.
The decrease in illegal crossings in Texas could be attributed to two factors. Firstly, Texas has tightened security measures on their side of the border. Secondly, Mexico has increased enforcement against migrants arriving in the Mexican state of Coahuila following a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in December. As a result, Mexico has started to prevent migrants from boarding trains and is even removing migrants from their northern border down to their southern border. Migrants who still attempt to cross now face a hostile environment in Texas, with a significant presence of soldiers, troopers, razor wire, and a looming threat of arrest. The details of the cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico in this regard remain unknown.
The meeting between Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Mexican President López Obrador aimed to discuss irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere and find ways to address border security challenges. However, the Mexican government’s enforcement efforts have not been consistent along the entire border. Border Patrol’s San Diego sector and Tucson, Arizona sector are now experiencing the highest levels of activity. On a recent Wednesday, Border Patrol apprehended 5,240 illegal immigrants at the southern border, with 73.5% of them in Arizona and California.
Border security has become a prominent issue in various states and Congress, with Republicans conditioning aid to Ukraine on a border security deal and pushing for the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas. President Biden has expressed his willingness to shut down the border if given emergency authority, but Republicans argue that he already possesses the power to do so. The Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the Biden administration, allowing Border Patrol agents to cut the concertina razor-wire installed by Texas near Eagle Pass while litigation continues. The ongoing standoff between the Biden administration and Texas over immigration enforcement has also resulted in the Texas Military Department seizing control of a city-owned Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, which had become a hotspot for illegal crossings.
Governor DeSantis’ decision to send additional National Guard members from Florida to assist Texas aligns with the growing concerns about border security. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has also offered support to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s security efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border. The collaboration between these Republican-led states highlights the importance of addressing the issue of illegal immigration.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Bill Melugin currently serves as a national correspondent for FOX News Channel based out of the Los Angeles bureau. Stay updated with the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews, and more political content by subscribing to this newsletter.
