(NewsNation) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation limiting benefits available to undocumented migrants, blaming the Biden administration for problems at the border.
The legislation means only legal residents of the U.S. are able to get benefits. It also prohibits counties from providing migrants with IDs and requires that hospitals collect data about care given to those who are undocumented.
DeSantis, a Republican, described the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as a “massive problem” and said President Joe Biden is responsible.
The Biden administration has pointed to decreasing numbers of migrants from certain countries as a sign that a recently implemented parole system is working. The program is currently only available to people from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
DeSantis accused the administration of lying about the numbers, and said the expiration of Title 42 will only worsen the situation.
The governor called for the deputization of states, to allow them to send migrants back. He predicted that burdens on taxpayers and communities will only get worse and overdose deaths will increase after Title 42 ends on Thursday.
DeSantis also suggested removing long-standing immigration policies, including chain migration, which allow people who have already come to the U.S. to bring family members over, and diversity lotteries, which only apply to countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S.
Instead, he proposed a points system similar to that used by other countries, where education, work experience and other qualifications are tallied to determine if someone is eligible to immigrate.
DeSantis also called for building a border wall to make it easier to turn people away.