Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has tapped Larry Keefe, a former “public safety czar” for the state, to lead Florida’s newly established immigration enforcement board. Keefe, a longtime trial attorney, helped organize a flight that transported dozens of illegal immigrants from Texas to the affluent island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. His role in this high-profile relocation has now catapulted him into a key position within the DeSantis administration, where he will have $250 million at his disposal to enhance the state’s immigration enforcement efforts.
The move, seen by many as a political stunt, was part of a broader strategy by DeSantis and other Republican governors to draw attention to the migrant crisis. The flight to Martha’s Vineyard sparked outrage and controversy, as local officials called in the National Guard and declared a state of emergency, illustrating the stark contrast between how the affluent, liberal community of Martha’s Vineyard responded to a relatively small number of migrants and how border states like Texas and Arizona have been struggling to manage larger waves of illegal immigration for years.
Governor DeSantis has frequently argued that immigration is not just a border issue but a nationwide challenge that affects all states. He has cited the response to the Martha’s Vineyard flight as a turning point, arguing that the sudden influx of 50 migrants into a wealthy, predominantly liberal community shifted the debate on immigration, forcing many cities and states to confront the reality of the border crisis. “They thought it was fine to have tens of thousands overrunning these border towns, but the minute you had 50 show up in Martha’s Vineyard, they had massive spasms about this,” DeSantis remarked.
The new immigration enforcement board was created during a special legislative session convened by DeSantis last month, part of a broader push by the Florida governor to implement stricter immigration measures aligned with the hardline policies promoted by President Donald Trump. As executive director, Keefe will be responsible for overseeing a range of enforcement strategies, with a particular focus on curbing illegal immigration and the activities of human traffickers, while allocating a significant budget to support these initiatives.
By appointing Keefe to lead the state’s immigration enforcement efforts, DeSantis is signaling his commitment to continuing his fight against illegal immigration, emphasizing the importance of state-level action. As Keefe prepares to oversee the allocation of the $250 million earmarked for the state’s immigration initiatives, the debate over the future of immigration enforcement in Florida—and across the nation—is likely to intensify.
Even Katie Couric was forced to admit that despite the initial backlash DeSantis faced for sending migrants north, it was a brilliant political maneuver that served him and his party well.
In a conversation with Jessica Tarlov, Couric recalled conversations she’d had, saying, “Well, it’s interesting ’cause I have a friend who lives in Florida, and I said, ‘What did you think of Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott taking some of these immigrants and moving them to northern states?’ And she said, ‘I thought it was great because nobody really was paying attention before that.’ And I do think that this untold story was the strain on social services and communities, particularly along the border, this huge influx of immigrants was having. And I think the mainstream media, however you define that these days, kind of ignored that story to its peril.”
