Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has announced an extensive legislative proposal aimed at addressing illegal immigration threats in the state. The proposal seeks to address issues caused by the Biden administration’s failure to secure the US border. The legislation includes measures such as increasing penalties for human smuggling, strengthening detention statutes for illegal aliens, mandating the use of E-Verify, enhancing penalties for document falsification, and prohibiting local governments from issuing ID cards to people who are unlawfully in the country. The governor believes that Florida must lead the way in protecting Americans from the adverse effects of the Left’s open borders agenda.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner, Mark Glass, believes that human smuggling, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities are spilling across the southern border into Florida. He believes that the proposed initiatives will help to keep Floridians safer than ever before. Senator Blaise Ingoglia called the border crisis in the US a direct result of the federal government’s refusal to enforce immigration laws. He noted that Governor DeSantis will boldly push Florida as the blueprint for other states to fight illegal immigration.
The legislation also includes provisions to invalidate all out-of-state licenses to unauthorized aliens, prevent unauthorized immigrants from being admitted to practice law, and eliminate out-of-state tuition fee waivers for undocumented immigrant students. Hospitals will also be required to collect data on the immigration status of patients and report regularly to the Governor and Legislature. The proposal further requires those registering to vote to affirm that they are US citizens and legal residents of Florida.
In addition to the proposed legislation, Governor DeSantis has taken several actions to keep Floridians safe in the face of an unsecure federal border policy. He has sent Florida state law enforcement officers and equipment to Texas, where they apprehended thousands of illegal aliens and aided in hundreds of criminal arrests. He has also issued an executive order prohibiting Florida state agencies from providing support for the resettlement of illegal aliens in Florida and signing legislation that requires public employers to use E-Verify to determine employment eligibility.