Tallahassee, Florida – Florida legislators approved a broad immigration bill on Tuesday, reserving half a billion dollars in public funds to help carry out president Donald Trump The repression of those in the country illegally.
In a state where approximately one in five residents It is an immigrant, the legislation would require that all levels of government, as well as government contractors, cooperate with the federal immigration application “as far as possible.”
After more than four hours of deliberations on Tuesday, the Legislature dominated by the Republicans of Florida approved the measure largely in the party lines. The passage establishes a confrontation between the Republican governor. Ron desantis and state legislative leaders, who have triggered whose proposals would be better the repression of Trump’s immigration. Desantis has called the “weak” bill.
“The objective of this bill is to help President Trump do his job,” said Republican Senator Gruter, one of the bill sponsors and a Trump ally who said he spoke with the president while passing the measure. “He wants maximum coordination with the local government.”
Legislators pushed the bill of more than 80 pages, entitled the Law of illegal Migration to address and reform, or Trump’s Law, in a special session, when it is more difficult for the public to participate in the legislative process. Republican legislators presented the bill after rejecting immigration proposals by Desantis, a Reprimand the lame governor of Pato who was once floated as Trump’s successor.
In particular, a Republican in the Chamber and six in the Senate voted against the measure, leaving the bill below a veto -proof majority.
“I appreciate the attempt,” said Republican Senator Blaise Ingaglia, an ally of the governor. “I can’t vote for this because it’s not strong enough for my liking.”
Before the floor debate on Tuesday, the president of the Senate, Ben Albritton, and the president of the House of Representatives, Daniel Pérez, announced additional provisions, after “requested and received technical assistance from the Trump administration,” said the leaders .
The amendments included improving sanctions for all crimes committed in the state by people in the country illegally, and requires that those convicted of capital crimes receive the death penalty. But Republican sponsors refused to include some of Desantis provisions, such as restrictions on people in the country that illegally send money abroad and a measure that would have created a legal presumption that people in the country are illegally flight risk.
Now, Desantis must weigh whether to sign a proposal, it has been beaten in public as “without teeth” and “diluted” or veto it. It could also refuse to sign the bill, allowing it to become law.
The measure approved by the legislators on Tuesday would create a new state office for immigration compliance with more than 140 employees under the direction of a newly coined immigration director, a position that the State Agriculture Commissioner, and would cedir powers of immigration application emergency the governor of the state immigration officer.
The bill allocates $ 100 million for subsidies to the local agencies for the application of the Law for Training, Equipment and Refund for the lease of detention facilities to the application of immigration and customs of the United States. It allocates another $ 375 million to finance the cooperation of the State with the federal government, including efforts related to a program that delegates to the Local Police for the duties carried out by the ICE agents. It also reserves $ 25 million to give $ 1,000 bonds to local law agents that cooperate with the federal government.
The Democrats repeatedly pressed the draft sponsors on the language that requires that government employees “cooperate as much as possible” with the federal immigration application.
“If we really do not love our (school resource officers), our social workers and our teachers define for themselves what should be the greatest scope of their cooperation, then we need to define that,” said Democratic representative Christine Hunchefsky.
Gruters said that the bill aims to require more cooperation of local officials who direct prisons and detention facilities, not the “street level” application. But he acknowledged that that could change with federal priorities.
The bill would also repeal a state law of a decade that allows Florida students who are in the country without legal permission to Qualify for state enrollment In public schools and universities, which from fiscal year 2023-2024 benefited some 6,500 students. In a sign of how much the State Immigration Policy has changed in recent years, the registration measure was sponsored in 2014 by the now Lieutenant Governor of the State, a Republican from Miami.
“I implore you today to remember the disturbing but challenging words of our lieutenant governor when he said:” It is the right thing to immigrants?
Democratic representative José Álvarez, who was born in Cuba and was brought to the United States by his parents, was more forceful.
“Everyone should be ashamed of yourself,” he told the legislators during a hearing on the bill, and added that “this is not for what this country was destined.”
The disposition that empowers the State Agriculture Commissioner as Immigration Director has marked Desantis, who said “is almost like the fox that protects Gallina’s house” because the agricultural industry has not been “known for the application of immigration” .
In his final comments, President Pérez seemed to nod at the pressure that Republicans have faced the governor and his allies.
“Threatening others to get out of his own is not leadership, it’s immaturity,” Pérez said. “I am going to ask you to ignore the melodrama and, on the other hand, you concentrate on the work we have to do.”
Florida is between Many states directed by Both parties Responding to Trump’s immigration agenda, including Tennessee, which began Your own special session Monday partly to treat the problem.
___ Associated Press Stephany Matat writer at West Palm Beach contributed to this report. Kate Payne is a member of Associated Press’s body/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America It is a non -profit national service program that places journalists in local writing rooms to inform about undercover issues.
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