“DeSantis Urges U.S. to Say No to Refugee Resettlement from Gaza

Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently issued a statement to the White House strongly recommending that the United States should take a stand against the influx of refugees from Gaza residing in Florida. The former governor was very clear in his statement that he believes the United States should take an opposing stance towards the new refugees flooding into his home state from conflict-ridden Gaza. In his statement, DeSantis suggested that if welcomed, the influx would only further “strain already-limited resources.” The former governor chose to make this statement in light of the drastic increase in refugee crossings during the last several months. Over the dozen-plus weeks preceding his statement, the number of refugees crossing the longest standing borders between Gaza and Israel has increased substantially. As DeSantis sees it, any additional strain on Florida’s resources that would be a result of this increased influx is a strain that the state can’t handle and should, therefore, not be accepted. Yet, DeSantis’ view does not come without its critics. Many of those living in the state of Florida feel strongly that, as a country built and supported by immigrants and refugees, the state should have some semblance of empathy and willingness to “give someone a chance”. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, DeSantis’ statement is yet another indicator that the issue of refugees from Gaza is not one the United States will be turning a blind eye to in the near future. The former governor’s statement does bring more attention to a debate that has been growing and gaining momentum for the past few months, though at this time, there is still no clear indication of how the current presidential administration may respond to the issue. Whether or not the United States decides to take a welcoming stance towards refugees from Gaza will remain to be seen, but in the meantime, the former Florida governor’s statement should certainly serve as an indication of how some concretely view the situation. Former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently issued a statement to the White House strongly recommending that the United States should take a stand against the influx of refugees from Gaza residing in Florida. The former governor was very clear in his statement that he believes the United States should take an opposing stance towards the new refugees flooding into his home state from conflict-ridden Gaza. In his statement, DeSantis suggested that if welcomed, the influx would only further “strain already-limited resources.” The former governor chose to make this statement in light of the drastic increase in refugee crossings during the last several months. Over the dozen-plus weeks preceding his statement, the number of refugees crossing the longest standing borders between Gaza and Israel has increased substantially. As DeSantis sees it, any additional strain on Florida’s resources that would be a result of this increased influx is a strain that the state can’t handle and should, therefore, not be accepted. Yet, DeSantis’ view does not come without its critics. Many of those living in the state of Florida feel strongly that, as a country built and supported by immigrants and refugees, the state should have some semblance of empathy and willingness to “give someone a chance”. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, DeSantis’ statement is yet another indicator that the issue of refugees from Gaza is not one the United States will be turning a blind eye to in the near future. The former governor’s statement does bring more attention to a debate that has been growing and gaining momentum for the past few months, though at this time, there is still no clear indication of how the current presidential administration may respond to the issue. Whether or not the United States decides to take a welcoming stance towards refugees from Gaza will remain to be seen, but in the meantime, the former Florida governor’s statement should certainly serve as an indication of how some concretely view the situation.