Florida Governor wants to end birthright citizenship, proposes aggressive immigration and border security policy

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis promised to end birthright citizenship, finish building the southern border wall and send United States forces into Mexico to combat drug cartels as part of an aggressive — and familiar — immigration policy proposal he laid out Monday in a Texas border city.

The sweeping immigration plan, the Florida governor's first detailed policy release as a 2024 contender, represents a long-established wish list of Republican immigration proposals that largely mirrors former President Donald Trump's policies.

Much of DeSantis' plan faces tall odds, requiring the reversal of legal precedents, approval from other countries or even an amendment to the US Constitution.

Still, DeSantis projected confidence on Monday, slapping at leaders in both political parties for failing to stop what he called an immigrant “invasion,” as he addressed residents of Eagle Pass, Texas, a community that has emerged as a major corridor for illegal border crossings during Joe Biden's presidency.

The DeSantis campaign has promised to release more detailed policy rollouts in the coming weeks.

But in leading with immigration, DeSantis is prioritising a divisive issue that has long been a focus of the GOP's most conservative voters.

The pro-immigrant group America's Voice condemned DeSantis for making “invasion” references that have been used by white supremacists.

Yet voters in the political middle have warmed to more aggressive immigration policies in recent months as illegal border crossing surged.

Overall, 6 in 10 adults in the US disapprove of President Joe Biden's handling of immigration, according to a recent AP-NORC poll.

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