DeSantis unveils his border plan: build the wall, fight the cartels, more resources for Border Patrol

Ron DeSantis unveiled during his visit to Eagle Pass (Texas) his plan to end the border crisis if he is elected president in 2024. The aspiring Republican candidate presented No Excuses, a program with four key strategies to end the massive arrivals of immigrants that the Biden administration hasn't been able to control: "stop the invasion," "build the wall," "hold cartels accountable" and "work with the states to enforce the law." In addition, he announced that he will work with the governments of Panama and Colombia, the origin of many of the illegals arriving at the southern border, to "close the crossings and stop the caravans before they get started."

"Biden's gross dereliction of duty"

After a strong start, in which he claimed that "Biden's gross dereliction of duty has left the southern border in shambles," DeSantis went on to lay out the basics of his plan No Excuses to fix the situation. According to the governor of Florida, "Millions of illegal aliens have entered the United States during Biden's administration, including criminal aliens and individuals suspected by the U.S. government of terrorism, which has overwhelmed communities across the nation." Another consequence of the immediate release of millions of immigrants on national soil is the loss of purchasing power for Americans, whose wages "are consistently undercut by cheaper illegal labor."

In addition, Biden's "dereliction of duty" severely affects Border Patrol agents, abandoned by the administration and without the "necessary resources, manpower and policy support" to get the job done. The current president's failure is embodied in the fact that "The Mexican drug cartels have capitalized on Biden's failure by trafficking humans and drugs across the border at record levels. The drugs that infiltrated our country have devastated communities from coast to coast: fentanyl trafficked across the southern border is now the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50."

The current governor of Florida outlined the four pillars of his new border policy:

Stop the invasion

The Republican candidate indicated that his first measure as head of the federal executive branch would be to end the current "catch-and-release" policy. "We will end catch-and-release and ensure that migrants are held in detention while they are awaiting the resolution of their claims, and not just released into the interior of the country. We will reimpose Remain in Mexico and stop the flood of phony asylum claims." Along these lines, he added that "We will take action to end the idea that the children of illegal aliens are entitled to birthright citizenship if they are born in the United States."

In addition, he promised to "increase pay of Border Patrol agents, to address the recruitment, retention and morale" of Border Patrol agents who "have been repeatedly disrespected by the Biden administration." He also announced his intention to increase the number of agents to control migratory flows and to detain and deport those who manage to set foot illegally in the U.S.

Build the wall

DeSantis condemned that, currently, "there are 600 miles open along the border between the US-Mexico border." This makes it all too easy for undocumented immigrants to evade agents. To put an end to this, "He will use every dollar available to him as president and every dollar he can squeeze out of Congress" to finish the wall that Donald Trump started. In addition, he announced that he will use the military to assist in the construction.

The Florida governor said he will use his experience in the Sunshine State following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. "Pine Island in Florida was completely cut off from the mainland. I ordered the Florida Department of Transportation to assist, and within 24 hours, we had more than 130 trucks rolling in and crews got to work. We didn’t just get it done—we got it done in three days, and emergency personnel were able to get on the island and start rebuilding. If needed, I’ll happily send those same crews to the southern border to get the wall built," he said.

War against cartels

"I will wage war on narco-trafficking in Mexico and throughout Latin America. I will designate the Mexican drug cartels as Transnational Criminal Organizations, and I will sanction cartels, their leaders, and other entities that provide support for drug trafficking," said the candidate. In addition, "if the Mexican government does not do something about stopping the precursor chemicals for drugs going through Mexican ports into cartel hands, we'll send in the Coast Guard and the Navy" to block the arrival of these chemicals on Mexican soil.

DeSantis will create "a Joint Counter-Cartel Task Force to direct and prioritize intelligence gathering and counter-cartel actions by our intelligence and law enforcement agencies." In addition, the candidate will convene the Organization of American States to announce new diplomatic, economic and security initiatives to deter violent cartel activity.

Working with states to enforce the law

The Florida governor, who has already proposed an initiative among border states to combat illegal immigration, assured that, if he is voted into the White House, he will work closely with governors. First, he will work to prevent the DOJ from suing those who "enforce immigration laws."

In addition, the governor "will impose firm penalties on sanctuary jurisdictions. If these lawless jurisdictions try to thwart federal immigration law, DeSantis will cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to them. He also promised to seek "funding to reimburse states that have been forced by Biden's border crisis to take the direct costs on the chin."