Trump and DeSantis Ignite Immigration Firestorm in Dueling Op-Eds

Ron DeSantis, Republican Presidential candidate and current Florida governor, wrote a guest editorial on Wednesday for the Des Moines Register about illegal immigration. He hit all the right points.

Mexican drug cartels are fighting us, bringing fentanyl manufactured in China across our southern border and killing our citizens. They are also trafficking innocent children for sexual abuse.

Millions of illegal aliens are flooding into our country and overwhelming local jurisdictions, escaping accountability. We run the risk that terrorists will enter our country through the southern border and carry out a horrifying attack if we don’t know who they are. Without the ability to control border crossings, we as a country lose our sovereignty.

This last sentence is key; we have no south border at all. As almost everyone on the right of Leon Trotsky has said, a country without borders is a nation that does not exist.

Here is the money shot by Governor DeSantis.

We will finally deport millions of migrants who have been released in every corner of the country by empowering ICE agents, streamlining court processes, and insisting that our immigration laws are adhered to. Under the DeSantis Administration, the mistakes of the past are rectified.

We’ll come back to this.

In a similar vein, the former President Trump also published an editorial on this topic in the Des Moines Register on Wednesday. Remember that the first national nomination contest will be the Iowa Caucuses on January 15.

On my first day in office, I’ll immediately revert to the strong border policies of Trump and end the open borders policy of Biden.

We will then begin an unprecedented deportation campaign. Joe Biden left us with no other choice. Biden’s invasion of millions of illegal aliens has required a record-breaking number of removals. It’s just common sense.

In order to achieve this goal, I’ll make it clear to all departments and state and local governments that we need to use every resource and authority available. We will transfer large portions of federal law to immigration enforcement, including the DEA and ATF as well as parts of DHS, FBI, DHS, and FBI.

I will also invoke the Alien Enemies Act in order to expel known or suspected drug dealers, gang members, or cartels from the United States. We will also use Title 42 in order to finally end the child-trafficking crisis.

Both DeSantis & Trump promise mass deportations, but this would be the most difficult logistically & politically to achieve. It’s about the removal of millions. It’s not that it shouldn’t be done – it should be. Illegal entry into our country must not, and should not be rewarded with a reward of allowing illegals to stay. It’s an enormous issue that will cost taxpayers millions or even billions. Congress must also approve the spending. It will be Herculean work, and compared to cleaning the Augean Stables it looks like an afternoon of quiet work.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that it shouldn’t or can’t be done. It’s not as simple as signing some executive orders.

Other things should be done. It’s a no-brainer to close the border, with military support if needed. Every GOP candidate promises that it will be done if they win a seat at the Resolute Desk. Employers who hire illegals should face harsh penalties, but Congress will decide what those penalties are.

Illegal immigration is without doubt a losing issue at the moment for Democrats; their entire effort has failed catastrophically.

The Republican candidate who can frame the issue best and convince primary vote-getters that they know the answer will gain an advantage in the primary. And whoever can convince the American public that they are capable of handling this crisis in the general election will also have an advantage.

Undoubtedly, illegal immigration will be a key issue in the elections of 2024. This issue could decide the 2024 election. Ron DeSantis makes all the right noises on this front. This is an issue people also associate with former president Trump. He is clearly not going to let anyone steal this from him. Watch this closely — the primary campaign starts in a few days.