DeSantis vows Florida won’t ‘turn a blind eye’ to Biden’s dangerous border failures, launches into action

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launched on Thursday a legislative proposal aimed at cracking down on “the increasing threats posed by illegal immigration as a result of the Biden administration’s failure to secure our nation’s borders.”

The sweeping legislation tackles everything from human smuggling to fake IDs and the mandatory use of E-Verify for Florida employers.

“By increasing penalties for human smuggling, strengthening statutes for the detention of illegal aliens, requiring universal use of E-Verify, enhancing penalties for document falsification, and prohibiting the issuance by local governments of ID cards to people who are not lawfully in the country, Florida will lead the way in protecting Americans from the deleterious effects of the Left’s open borders agenda,” the governor’s office stated in a news release.

“Florida is a law and order state, and we won’t turn a blind eye to the dangers of Biden’s Border Crisis,” DeSantis vowed at a press conference to announce the legislation. We will continue to take steps to protect Floridians from reckless federal open border policies.”

 

Under the proposal, knowingly transporting, concealing, or harboring an illegal alien within or into the state of Florida would become a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, and five years of probation.

If that trafficked illegal alien is under the age of 18, the charge would go up to a second-degree felony and those convicted would face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

“We also say that it’s a separate offense for each individual transported, concealed, or harbored, and then when people are being transported, even though they may not have violated this, you know, they’re gonna be detained as material witnesses,” DeSantis explained.

Among the measures is a mandatory E-Verify proposal that would require all Florida employers to use the system to determine employment eligibility. It would be a felony to use a fake ID to obtain that eligibility, and employers who violate the requirements twice in two years could have their licenses revoked.

The legislative changes are crafted to disincentivize illegal immigration in the Sunshine State.

Local governments would be prohibited from issuing ID cards to unauthorized aliens and out-of-state licenses issued to unauthorized aliens would be invalidated.

To register to vote, Floridians would need proof of U.S. citizenship and legal Florida resident status. Hospitals would be required to collect data on their patients’ immigration status and regularly submit reports detailing how much it costs to care for illegal aliens.

Unauthorized aliens seeking an education at colleges and universities would be banned from receiving out-of-state tuition waivers.

And, in a striking proposal, illegal aliens would be prohibited from practicing law in Florida.

Finally, loopholes that allow illegal aliens to be released from ICE detention would be closed.

State Senator Blaise Ingoglia (R) praised DeSantis’s proposal and blasted the Biden administration, calling the federal government a “disaster area.”

“The border crisis this nation is experiencing is a direct result of the federal government refusing to enforce immigration laws,” he said. “The problem is so bad that the federal government should declare itself its own disaster area.”

“It is reckless and an abomination, and our Governor will not stand by idly as this open-borders agenda continues to take over our families, friends and our communities,” Ingoglia continued. “As a matter of fact, he will boldly push Florida as the blueprint by which other states should fight illegal immigration.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said the legislation would help to keep Floridians “safer than ever.”

“Human smuggling, drug trafficking, and a host of other criminal activities are steadily spilling across the Southern Border and into our state, as bad actors seek to exploit the hard-earned wealth and hard-won freedoms of our citizens for criminal gain,” he said. “In tandem with our continued vigilance and cooperation with our law enforcement partners across the state, the initiatives championed today by Governor DeSantis will help to keep Floridians safer than ever, protecting our citizens from malefactors who are illegally in our state and removing them from our communities altogether.”

 

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