DeSantis Rebukes Mexican President — Florida Laws On Illegal Immigration Won't Be 'Dictated By Mexico City'

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) drew international ire early this week and fired back in a rare diplomatic exchange for a state governor that likely left Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador slightly scorched.

It began when López Obrador commented on a Florida bill that The New York Times called "the toughest crackdown" on illegal immigration by any state.

“Why does [DeSantis] have to take advantage of people’s pain, of migrants’ pain, of people’s need for political gain?” López Obrador said during a press conference according to The Daily Wire. “This is immoral. This is politicking.”

“Now I found out that the Florida governor — imagine, Florida, which is full of migrants — is taking repressive, inhumane measures against migrants in Florida because he wants to be a candidate,” he added. “Can’t he not make another proposal to convince people?”

 

#EnLaMañanera | @lopezobrador_ se lanzó contra los gobernadores Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) de #Florida y Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) de #Texas por criminalizar a #migrantes. "¿Qué tiene que valerse del dolor del migrante, de la necesidad de la gente para sacar raja política?” pic.twitter.com/qSjz4gXeCX

— El Financiero TV (@ElFinancieroTv) May 8, 2023

As reported by The Daily Wire, DeSantis signed that bill into law Wednesday, but not before sharing some choice words towards the Mexican president..
 

#BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis announces signing of anti-illegal immigration bill mandating E-Verify, adding money for migrant transports, increasing penalties for human smuggling

"In Florida, we're doing it legal and we're doing it right." pic.twitter.com/KpmMHr2GiK

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 10, 2023

In a statement reported by Breitbart, DeSantis responded to López Obrador's unwelcome criticism saying, “President López Obrador should be cracking down on the cartels running his country and fueling our deadly opioid epidemic instead of worrying about what we are doing in Florida. While President Biden may take his cues from leftist foreign leaders, Floridians won’t let their immigration laws be dictated by Mexico City.”

He added, " I’ll never back down from using the full weight of my office to protect the people of Florida by enforcing our immigration laws, and look forward to signing the strongest legislation against illegal immigration in Florida history."

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