Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said he supports using deadly force against migrants coming into the United States who are suspected of bringing in drugs.
DeSantis made the remarks on Monday during a visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, where he joined other Republican governors in criticizing the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
He said drug traffickers were exploiting the border crisis and endangering American lives.
“We have a responsibility to protect our people from the scourge of drugs,” DeSantis said. “And if that means using deadly force against these drug traffickers, then so be it.”
DeSantis did not specify how law enforcement officers would determine who was a drug trafficker and who was not, or what level of force would be justified.
His comments drew swift condemnation from human rights groups and immigration advocates, who said they amounted to a call for extrajudicial killings and violated international law.
“Governor DeSantis is playing with fire by endorsing such a reckless and dangerous policy,” said Andrea Flores, deputy director of immigration policy at the American Civil Liberties Union. “He is essentially giving a green light for vigilantes and rogue agents to shoot and kill migrants without due process or accountability.”
Flores added that DeSantis was “trying to score political points by demonizing and dehumanizing migrants, many of whom are fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries.”
The Biden administration has faced mounting pressure from Republicans and some Democrats over its handling of the surge of migrants at the southern border, especially unaccompanied children and families seeking asylum.
The administration has said it is working to address the root causes of migration, expand legal pathways, and improve the processing and care of migrants in U.S. custody.
It has also urged migrants not to make the dangerous journey to the border and warned that they will be turned back or expelled under a public health order issued by the Trump administration at the start of the pandemic.
However, some migrants have been allowed to enter the U.S. while their cases are pending, creating a backlog in the immigration system and straining the resources of border communities.
DeSantis is among several Republican governors who have deployed state troopers, National Guard members, and other resources to the border, claiming that they are filling a void left by the federal government.
He is also widely seen as a potential contender for the 2024 presidential nomination, and has aligned himself closely with former President Donald Trump, who remains popular among the GOP base.
