(NewsNation) — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday he will be deploying over 250 state officers to secure the Florida border from potential migrants entering from Haiti, which is facing mass violence and total collapse.
“Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea craft to the southern coast of Florida to protect our state,” DeSantis said in a statement.
The Florida governor added that “no state has done more to supplement the (under-resourced) U.S. Coast Guard’s interdiction efforts; we cannot have illegal aliens coming to Florida.”
Chaos has unfolded in Haiti over the past weeks. The government has collapsed, and criminal gangs have overtaken the nation.
The nation has witnessed violence as gangs have attacked prisons and the airport, forcing businesses and schools to close. Food and water have been scarce, and an estimated 15,000 people have been forced from their homes in Port-au-Prince.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced this week that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created.
DeSantis is in lockstep with other Republican leaders who are proactively and aggressively securing borders. He has sent Florida troops to Texas in an effort to aid Gov. Greg Abbott with migrant crossings.