“In major cities and communities across America, many Americans are grappling with increased crime rates that not only jeopardize public safety, but also threaten the quality of life in their communities,” Kazanjian said. “The ideological experiment of defunding the police and scapegoating law enforcement for America’s social problems has failed.”

“Everything he promises, he delivers.” On Fox and Friends this morning, Kazanjian said that Trump is respected by the union members but DeSantis was the favored candidate of the union members. When asked, Kazanjian said he had not heard from Trump since the endorsement was announced but that DeSantis called him yesterday to thank him for the major endorsement.

The press release noted the investment DeSantis has made in supporting law enforcement in Florida. During the last legislative session, DeSantis made additional funding a priority. Earlier this month, he signed the Framework for Freedom Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24. The investments included in the budget include “salary increases for correctional officers, enhancements to officer safety, and tools to more aggressively combat the flow of fentanyl into Florida from the southern border. Due to the continued diligence of Florida’s law enforcement officers, Floridians are benefiting from a 50-year record-low crime rate, and year-over-year crime in Florida is down nearly ten percent.”

Sounds good. Investing in law enforcement works. Also included in the budget is $20 million for a second round of $5,000 recruitment bonuses for new officers or those relocating from other states. There is money for one-time recognition bonuses for local first responders. And there is money to increase pay for Correctional an Probation Officers.

Kazanjian called DeSantis the “one candidate for president who has a proven track record in enhancing public safety and investing in the essential men and women who help maintain public safety every day.

“For the over 30,000 men and women in the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the choice for us could not be clearer,” he said.

“Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration have made Florida a law-and-order state, by investing in and supporting the thousands of law enforcement officers, who serve on the front lines in keeping our communities safe and secure.”

“Governor DeSantis has made Florida a destination for all Americans to live safely and freely,” the release states. “He is one of the most effective Governors in the nation and he will take his proven track record to the White House, where he will continue to have the backs of law enforcement officers and make public safety a top priority.”

Governor DeSantis brought his message of the importance of law and order in civil society to the southern border this week. On Monday he rolled out his border security plan. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a tough plan. I’m not convinced he can constitutionally do some of what he plans to do but he certainly makes a person sit up and take notice with what he is saying. Some more libertarian conservatives describe his plan as big government actions but after the Biden border crisis has been raging for three years, four by the time of the 2024 presidential election, some big actions are going to be needed to clean it all up.

DeSantis has not suddenly discovered the disaster at the southern border. He has been a willing partner with Texas Governor Abbott from the first time Abbott asked for help from his fellow governors. DeSantis sends National Guard troops and equipment whenever he is asked. He has toured the southern border and he talks about being a coastal border governor. Florida isn’t on the southern border with Mexico but its borders are coastal. Florida receives illegal migrants from Caribbean island countries and from other parts of the world as their boats arrive in the Florida Keys. From that level, DeSantis has border security experience. The other Republican candidates for president do not.

The DeSantis plan to enforce law and order on the southern border is called “Stop the Invasion.” Some of the actions he promises to take are those from the Trump years. The Trump policies worked. Unfortunately, they were not permanent policies because they were signed into place through presidential memos and executive orders, not Congressional action. That allowed Joe Biden to come in and on his very first day in office, he put a stop to all the policies that were working. The border became a porous mess overnight. So, with all that in mind, DeSantis promises to end catch and release, migrants will be held in detention while awaiting the completion of their claims. Unlike Biden, the illegal migrants won’t be released into the interior of the country. He will bring back the Remain in Mexico program and work to stop the flood of asylum claims. Very few illegal migrants have legitimate asylum claims. They are coming for economic opportunities.

DeSantis promises to hire more Border Patrol agents and more agents to remove illegal migrants when they cross the border. That means more deportations.

All of that is good and we’ve seen that those moves work in securing the southern border. He also pledges to finish the border wall.

Some more strident measures from DeSantis’ plan include sending military troops to the border and authorizing rules of engagement to stop the cartels from trafficking drugs and human beings across the border. He also pledges to use the Coast Guard and the Navy if Mexico does not act to do something about stopping the precursor chemicals for drugs going through Mexican ports into cartel hands. He may run into problems fulfilling his plan to allow troops on the border to use deadly force if necessary. He could run up against violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which prevents active-duty military from enforcing the law inside the United States.

DeSantis pledges to end birthright citizenship for children born to illegal aliens in the United States. He rightly points out the citizenship is an incentive for illegal migration. And, he says it is inconsistent with the original understanding of the 14th Amendment. He is said he is ready to force the courts and Congress to act on this. That will take time and many court battles.

The DeSantis border security plan will be music to the ears of border hawks and Republican voters concerned about national security and the sovereignty of our country. There will be a big price tag, though, and that will lead to battles over additional government spending. We will have to wait and see how his plan is received versus plans from other candidates, if there are any by the time the first debate happens in August. Illegal immigration and border security is a top issue for voters, both Republican voters and independent voters. DeSantis is off to a good start.