FLORIDA – The Florida State Guard — a volunteer force established in 2022 by Governor DeSantis — is raising eyebrows over how it plans to deal with migrants.
The Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times are reporting that guard members are being trained in both “aerial gunnery” and treating “massive hemorrhages.”
This comes as Governor DeSantis is making immigration a central part of his presidential campaign.
DeSantis wrote in what he called the “Framework for Freedom” that the Florida State Guard’s purpose is “not only natural disasters but also in protecting its people and borders from illegal aliens and civil unrest.”
Now, there are questions about the methods being used to protect borders.
In Florida, issues with migrants entering the state illegally usually come by water from countries like Haiti and Cuba. In 2022, DeSantis set up the Florida Guard to help with that. The Florida Guard is an agency that’s mostly volunteer and hasn’t existed in Florida in decades.
The articles say the training is something that is part of dealing with issues with migrants.
In Florida, those concerns come from a contractor called “Stronghold SOF Solutions” based in Defuniak Springs, specifically on a road called “Warfighter Way.”
News4JAX contacted SOF Solutions about these reports and was told by the person who picked up: “We’re not going to be making any comments on it at this time.”
The issue of immigration is quickly shaping up to become the center of the 2024 campaign for president.
News4JAX Political Analyst Rick Mullaney said numbers show 10,000 to 12,000 people are entering the US illegally, considerably higher than years past.
Mullaney said Governor Desantis’ hardline immigration stance can help with his base in the primary for president, even if immigration numbers are higher in states like Texas and Arizona.
“For Governor DeSantis side who is running for president and wants the nomination on the Republican side, it’s a huge issue. And he’s been very hardline about sending the military in to fight the cartels in Mexico. He’s sent immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard. So, for him it’s appeals to the hardline base but the Republican party overall,” Mullaney said.
The Florida State Guard has made headlines in recent months locally.
In July, the News4JAX I-TEAM reported on the story of one volunteer in Clay County at Camp Blanding who called the sheriff’s office and accused trainers of battery and false imprisonment, and other recruits told the I-TEAM that several experienced people resigned from the Guard because they were misled about the mission.
News4JAX reached out to the Florida State Guard and sent us the following statement:
Florida law authorizes the director to organize a specialized unit within the Florida State Guard, which requires specialized training to meet the missions outlined in the statute. At this time, we have approximately 45 volunteers who have completed the initial phase of ongoing training, including skills that will enable them to assist other agencies in missions such as intercepting migrants off the coast of Florida.
Sierra Dean, External Affairs Director