Days after Governor Ron DeSantis signed the immigration legislation he claims is the strictest in the country, Florida’s Republican leaders appointed a director for the new state immigration enforcement board: the architect of the controversial plan to transport immigrants from Texas to a tourist town in Massachusetts.
Florida lawmakers and those from other Republican-led states are racing to pass new laws to help President Donald Trump fulfill his promises of mass deportations.
Florida authorities are not wasting time implementing their new legislation, which, among other measures, increases penalties for crimes committed by immigrants in the country without legal authorization and allocates nearly $300 million to bolster state and local involvement in immigration enforcement.Details on Florida’s New Laws
The two bills passed by Florida lawmakers and signed by DeSantis last week aim to maximize state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
The legislation increases legal penalties for unauthorized immigrants who commit crimes, including imposing the death penalty for those convicted of a capital offense, such as first-degree murder. The death penalty provision has alienated some Republicans and drawn criticism from Democrats and civil rights advocates.
The measures also create a new state crime, which is entering Florida after arriving in the country without legal permission. And under the new legislation, Florida students who are in the country illegally will no longer be eligible for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.Who Are State Officials Targeting?
State leaders have sent mixed messages about who law enforcement will prioritize in their crackdown on illegal immigrants in the country.
Speaking to reporters last week, Republican Senate President Ben Albritton said the focus is on criminals and “bad people,” dismissing concerns that law-abiding grandparents or students might be targets.
However, DeSantis announced a new agreement between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Florida Highway Patrol that expands state officers’ ability to question, arrest, and detain immigrants in general who are out of status.Source: AP