Gov. DeSantis to migrants dropped in D.C.: Do not come to Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly told illegal immigrants not to come to his state after some of the 23 migrants who were bused to the nation’s capital said they planned to head to Miami.

The migrants would have to find their own way to Florida after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent them to Washington. The Republican governor wanted to send a message to President Biden over his decision to lift Title 42, a pandemic rule that allowed the U.S. to swiftly turn away migrants at the border.

Mr. DeSantis, also a Republican, warned the migrants not to come south.

“To those who have entered the country illegally, fair warning: do not come to Florida. Life will not be easy for you, because we are obligated to uphold the immigration laws of this country, even if our federal government and other states won’t,” the governor’s office told Fox News Digital.

The statement to Fox also blamed Mr. Biden for the migrants’ predicament.

“If you have come here illegally, you have been done a great disservice by the Biden administration,” Mr. DeSantis’s office said. “They have encouraged you to make dangerous treks, oftentimes at great physical distress to you and your family. Sometimes, this has even meant putting your fate into the hands of dangerous coyotes and human traffickers.”

“There is a legal process to obtain full American citizenship, which is an essential part of the promise of America. In Florida, we will uphold the law,” the governor’s office said.

The migrants who arrived near the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday are from Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki brushed off the message from Mr. Abbott during her Wednesday press briefing. She said the migrants are being processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“So, it’s nice the state of Texas is helping them get to their final destination as they await … their outcome of their immigration proceedings,” Ms. Psaki said. “And they’re all in immigration proceedings.”