South Florida Lawmakers Calling On Governor To Reconsider Plan To Send Law Enforcement Resources To Border States

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Before sending law enforcement resources off to other states, many lawmakers, state leaders and activists are calling on the governor to send help closer to home.

"So I think it's the right thing to do, but I do also believe that what's going on there is impacting communities all across the country that are not necessarily on the border," said Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis defended his decision to send law enforcement officers from across the state in response to the border crisis in Texas and in Arizona.

It comes as Florida continues to challenge the Biden administration in federal court about immigration enforcement.

"Now, it is worse than anything anyone has ever seen down there? There are caravans that are making their way and pouring across the border. You absolutely have the cartels that are taking full advantage of what is going on our southern border. And so, this has an impact nationwide. For example, in May, in Martin County, an 82-year-old-woman raped by a criminal illegal alien," the governor said.

The governor insists that helping prevent illegal immigration will help Florida by reducing crime in the state.

In response, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava released a statement, saying, "The governor has yet to reach out following the tragedy at El Mula Banquet Hall and other shootings just weeks ago.  I welcome the opportunity to update him on the robust enforcement and prevention strategies we're deploying in Miami-Dade, and how we can partner with the state on policies to prevent gun violence, get firearms out of the hands of criminals and keep all of our communities' safe."

Also on Thursday, members of the Senate Democratic Caucus wrote to DeSantis, saying they want him to address the needs of Floridians first.

"The Federal government has already deployed additional resources to the areas in question and there is no need for him to divert and sacrifice our safety. The safety of Floridians," said Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book.

Book said with the recent rash of violence in Florida the governor should reconsider.

"Kids are dying in the streets and it's not at the hands of immigrants crossing the border," she said. "And diverting law enforcement officers away from their local community where they are so desperately needed will handicap our efforts to combat the kind of violence we are seeing."

The officers will be from the state and several local agencies.

It's not clear how the governor plans to pay for this.