Larry Keefe, inset, was at the center of organizing a flight from San Antonio to Martha's Vineyard amid a massive influx of illegal migrants into the U.S. under President Joe Biden. ( U.S. Department of Justice)
The new board that Keefe will be heading was created during a recent special legislative session, called by DeSantis last month, to advance efforts at implementing President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
The group held an emergency meeting Monday, during which Attorney General James Uthmeier nominated Keefe to be the new board's executive director just hours after being appointed himself by the governor.
"For several years, I had the pleasure of working alongside [Keefe] when he was the state's public safety czar. In that position, Larry worked with law enforcement all across the state to spearhead interdiction efforts. He also helped us with executive actions to collect data and better understand the real harms and taxes that the state faces as a result of an influx of illegal immigrants," Uthmeier said at Monday's meeting. "He also helped organize some relocation flights that I think some of you might have heard about, including one to Martha's Vineyard."
Immigrants gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Sept. 14 on Martha's Vineyard. (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette via AP)
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Fox News Digital reached out to DeSantis' office and was directed to his comments during the Monday meeting and on social media. DeSantis said Keefe "is a great public servant" and "will do a fantastic job" leading the state's immigration enforcement.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/leader-behind-migrant-flight-marthas-vineyard-tapped-head-states-new-immigration-board