DeSantis Pushes Toughest Immigration Crackdown in the Nation – The New York Times
TALLAHASSEE Led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican with presidential ambitions, the Florida Legislature is considering a sweeping package of immigration measures that would represent the toughest crackdown on undocumented immigration by any state in more than a decade.
Expected to pass within weeks because Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers, the bills are part of what Mr. DeSantis describes as a response to President Bidens open borders agenda, which he said has allowed an uncontrolled flow of immigrants to cross into the United States from Mexico.
The bills would expose people to felony charges for sheltering, hiring and transporting undocumented immigrants; require hospitals to ask patients their immigration status and report to the state; invalidate out-of-state drivers licenses issued to undocumented immigrants; prevent undocumented immigrants from being admitted to the bar in Florida; and direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide assistance to federal authorities in enforcing the nations immigration laws.
Mr. DeSantis has separately proposed eliminating in-state college tuition for undocumented students and beneficiaries of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, who were brought to the United States as young children. The tuition law was enacted by his predecessor Rick Scott, now a Republican U.S. senator, in 2014.
The new measures represent the most far-reaching state immigration legislationsince 2010, when Arizona, a border state that was the nations busiest corridor for human smuggling at the time, passed a law that required the police to ask people they stopped for proof of immigration status if they had a reason to suspect they might be in the country illegally.
We need to do everything in our power to protect the people of Florida from whats going on at the border and the border crisis, Mr. DeSantis said at a news conference on Feb. 23 during which he unveiled his proposals and spoke from a lectern emblazoned with the words Bidens Border Crisis.
Backers of the new bills say they are not opposed to immigration but are trying to make sure that newcomers follow the law.
Theres a right way and a wrong way to come here, Debbie Mayfield, a Republican state senator, said during a hearing on one of the bills. We have a process in this country. Were not trying to hurt or harm people who are here legally.
Stronger controls on illegal immigration have been a key issue for Republicans, including among many Hispanic voters in border regions who have expressed alarm over the large numbers of unauthorized border crossings, about 2.5 million last year. There has also been broad Republican support for increasing deportations of those who are in the country illegally, with eight in 10 Republicans saying that boosting deportations was important, according to a Pew Research Center survey last year.
Florida saw a wave of migrants landing by boat from Cuba and Haiti earlier this year, overwhelming local resources in the Florida Keys and adding to an undocumented population in the state that is already estimated at about 800,000.
Health care for undocumented immigrants in the state cost nearly $313 million during the 2020-21 fiscal year, according to state figures, and Mr. DeSantis warned that continuing influxes threatened to increase crime, diminish jobs and wages for American workers and burden the states education systems.
But critics warn the proposed new legislation, by targeting some long-established residents of the state, will sow fear, promote racial profiling and harm Floridas economy, and some Republican business leaders have come out against it.
The legislative push runs counter to a trend elsewhere in the country to integrate the nations existing population of undocumented immigrants, estimated at more than 10 million.
Over the last decade, and especially since the pandemic, even some Republican-led states have introduced policies to provide undocumented residents with health care, access to higher education, drivers licenses and worker protections.
Arizona voters last year repealed restrictions on higher education for undocumented immigrants and adopted in-state tuition for everyone who attends high school in the state. The State Legislature is taking up a proposal to offer financial aid to such immigrants.
There has been steady growth of inclusive policies across the country and the political spectrum, said Tanya Broder, a senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center who tracks immigration legislation.
Governors Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Spencer Cox of Utah, both Republicans, recently called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, citing the value of foreign workers to their states. In March, Mr. Cox signed a law extending health coverage to all low-income children in his state, regardless of immigration status.
Texas is moving in the other direction, at least on the border. Republican state lawmakers have proposed a significant expansion in the immigration control program pushed by Gov. Greg Abbott, who, like Mr. DeSantis, is a Republican.
Draft legislation presented in March calls for the state to take on some of the authority now exercised by the federal government, creating a border police force and making it a state felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, to illegally cross the border into Texas.
Texas has already deployed National Guard troops on the border and, along with Arizona, has bused newly arriving migrants to cities around the country.
Both Republican governors have accused President Biden of losing control of the situation.
When Biden continues to ignore his legal responsibilities, we will step in to support our communities, Mr. DeSantis said in January.
Last year, the Florida governor commissioned two private planes to fly unwitting Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, fueling outrage and prompting lawsuits. In January, he declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard as vessels ferrying Cuban and Haitian migrants docked in the Florida Keys that month and in February.
Neither the state nor the federal government has data on how many undocumented immigrants reached Florida during the latest border surge last year, but there are signs that the state has been heavily affected.
As of March 31, the immigration courts in Florida had 296,833 cases pending, more than any other state, dwarfing New Yorks 187,179 and Texas 184,867 cases.
Under the proposed new bills, a person could be charged with a third-degree felony for knowingly transporting, concealing or harboring undocumented immigrants, punishable by up to five years in prison. While sponsors have said the legislation is not intended to target ordinary Floridians in their day-to-day lives, its potential applications are broad, legal analysts said: An American adult child of an undocumented immigrant driving a parent, a lawyer driving a client to court or someone driving a sports team that had a player without U.S. legal status could be exposed to criminal charges.
Similarly, the law could also apply to a landlord who rents property to an undocumented family or someone who has an undocumented person living in their home, such as a housekeeper or caretaker.
As the bill is written, there are no exceptions, said Paul Chavez, a lawyer affiliated with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is preparing to challenge the legislation in court if it passes.
Enforcing these measures would open the door to racial profiling, critics said, as police officers are charged with determining who is documented and who is not.
You are looking at a bill that creates an atmosphere where you could get targeted whether you are an immigrant, citizen or tourist, said Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, the executive director of Hope CommUnity Center, a nonprofit in Apopka, Fla., that provides immigrants an array of social services. You dont know peoples immigration status by looking at them, he said.
One of the most heavily debated provisions is one that targets hospitals, which would be required to collect data on the immigration status of patients and to submit it to the state. The law would not prohibit treatment, but critics warn that it would discourage undocumented immigrants from seeking care.
The legislation calls for new state penalties to be imposed on employers who hire immigrants without work authorization, and it is drawing opposition from the business community in a state struggling with a labor shortage and where the unemployment rate was 2.6 percent in February.
More than one in five Florida residents are immigrants, and 722,000 American citizens in the state live in households with one or more undocumented immigrants.
The state is home to a large senior population that relies on care often provided by immigrants, many of them undocumented; its agricultural sector employs many undocumented immigrants; and its tourism industry draws millions of visitors from around the world to Florida beaches, restaurants and theme parks, where service workers are often immigrants.
What might make DeSantis look good with the extreme right in a national presidential election bid is just about the most destructive and hurtful thing he could do to his own state, said Mike Fernandez, who runs a private equity group in Florida and is a member of the American Business Immigration Coalition, a national bipartisan group of business leaders advocating a cohesive national strategy on immigration.
Felice Gorordo, an entrepreneur in Miami who is trying to attract companies to Florida and create a tech hub, said the proposal to eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students was counterproductive.
We would be driving these students to other states when we need to do everything possible to keep our homegrown talent, he said.
Unlike New York, Washington and Denver, which at different times have struggled to find housing or shelters for flocks of newly arrived migrants, there has been little evidence in Florida of migrants lingering on the streets or crowded into homeless shelters.
The Florida legislation, introduced on the first day of the session that ends in May, is expected to be fast-tracked by the Republican leadership.
I wholeheartedly thank and commend Gov. Ron DeSantis for having the courage to lead on this issue, said Blaise Ingoglia, the state senator who sponsored the bill that passed the Senate Rules Committee last month. This problem is now at our doorstep, and Florida will not stand for it anymore.
After the Biden administration expanded Title 42, a pandemic authority that empowers agents to swiftly expel citizens of several countries back to Mexico, the number of migrants intercepted by U.S. authorities at the border has plunged in recent months to the lowest levels since Mr. Biden took office.
Some Venezuelans who crossed the border before the expulsion policy was applied to them have reached Tallahassee, renting apartments a short drive from the State Capitol.
Erika Rojas, a Venezuelan American who runs a nonprofit, Hola Tallahassee, that assists newly arrived Spanish speakers, said many had found jobs cleaning offices, working in restaurants or doing construction work.
She scrolled recently through a string of messages in a WhatsApp group where job seekers exchange tips and those who have been in the state longer share information.
A Venezuelan chef wrote in the chat that he had 15 years of experience but was willing to work as a dishwasher. The main thing is to get my start, he said.
Another Venezuelan in the group wrote, Im an expert welder, and Im at your service.
Maria Virginia, 32, a lab technician in her hometown, Maracaibo, Venezuela, said she had been working nights, mopping floors and emptying trash bins at a hospital in Tallahassee.
By day, she has been taking an online class to become a certified phlebotomist, having applied for asylum and received a work permit.
If I accomplish my goals, Ill stay in Tallahassee, she said.
Read more here:
DeSantis Pushes Toughest Immigration Crackdown in the Nation - The New York Times
- U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans has joined latest immigration reform attempt. Will it succeed as enforcement surges? - The Denver Post - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Don Bacon defends vote on Big Beautiful Bill, talks immigration reform during town hall - Omaha World-Herald - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Letters to the Editor: Meaningful immigration reform must come from both sides of the aisle - Los Angeles Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Press Release: Carbajal Co-Leads Reintroduction of Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill - Quiver Quantitative - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Bennet has battled for immigration reform for years but critical issue remains deeply politicized in U.S. - Real Vail - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Bipartisan immigration reform package? Some California lawmakers back it, but will Congress pass it? - The Daily Gazette - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Community Leaders Rally in Indio Demanding Immigration Reform, Better Treatment for Detained Families - NBC Palm Springs - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Lawmakers bring immigration reform bill back to allow them to stay - yourcentralvalley.com - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Letters to the Editor: Democrats missed the chance to pass immigration reform years ago - Los Angeles Times - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Bipartisan Immigration Reform Act Introduced to Congress - The Well News - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Opinion | Trumps Immigration Reform Opportunity - The Wall Street Journal - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Press Release: Reps. Lawler, Salazar, and Escobar Unveil Bipartisan DIGNITY Act to Address Immigration Reform - Quiver Quantitative - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- The time is right for common sense immigration reform - The Independent Record - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Bipartisan Group of Legislators Keep Dream of Immigration Reform Alive with Reintroduced 'DIGNIDAD' Act - American Immigration Council - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- What is the Dignity Act? Congress reintroduces bipartisan immigration reform bill - NBC 6 South Florida - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 'Do you like mass deportations, Grok?' Controversial AI Chatbot Talks Immigration Reform With Professor L. Ali Khan - JURIST Legal News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Press Release: Gabe Evans and Maria Salazar Introduce Bipartisan Dignity Act for Immigration Reform - Quiver Quantitative - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- The Solution to Trumps Immigration Debacle? Immigration Reform - The Well News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Immigration reform in the UK - Centre for European Reform - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Condemns ICE Raid on Local Business, Calls for Humane Immigration Reform - wehotimes.com - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America - GV Wire - July 2nd, 2025 [July 2nd, 2025]
- Weighing in on Trump's promise of immigration reform - Hortidaily - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Immigration Reform for Meat Processors and More Ag Input for MAHA - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST - June 29th, 2025 [June 29th, 2025]
- Changes Proposed by the Governments White Paper on Immigration Reform | White Paper - Freeths - June 24th, 2025 [June 24th, 2025]
- Border congressman: Arresting criminal aliens is the first step in immigration reform - Dallas News - June 22nd, 2025 [June 22nd, 2025]
- Jose Antonio Vargas on What We Get Wrong About Immigration Reform - American Civil Liberties Union - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- This situation is not worthy of a great nation: Los Angeles archbishop calls for immigration reform - CatholicVote org - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Arnold Schwarzenegger Blames Both Parties, Lack Of Immigration Reform For ICE Raids - The Daily Wire - June 20th, 2025 [June 20th, 2025]
- Not going to stop: Immigration Reform group meets in Fresno - yourcentralvalley.com - June 1st, 2025 [June 1st, 2025]
- State Representative Kasey Carpenter on Immigration Reform - Georgia Public Broadcasting - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Trump can go down in history by pushing immigration reform | Opinion - Fresno Bee - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Bishop urges government to reconsider immigration reform - The Tablet - May 30th, 2025 [May 30th, 2025]
- Whatever Happened to Bipartisan Immigration Reform? - Newsweek - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- UK Immigration Reform 2025: Key Changes and Business Impacts - Watson Farley & Williams - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV Raises Hopes for Immigration Reform in Arizona - Hoodline - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- UK: Government publishes proposal for major immigration reform Work ban forcing some female asylum applicants into sex work New evidence of violence... - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- UK Immigration Reform deeper restrictions on the horizon - Charles Russell Speechlys - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Argentina's immigration reform to be discussed at Mercosur meeting - H2FOZ - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party is riding high in the polls - IslanderNews.com - May 19th, 2025 [May 19th, 2025]
- Thailand Immigration Reform Planned as Bangkok Proposes New Interior Ministry Department to Reshape Policy for Travelers, Expats, Refugees - Travel... - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Critical Point: Industry Works Toward Immigration Reform - Thoroughbred Daily News - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Horse Racing Industry Urges Action On Immigration Reform To Address Labor Shortages - Paulick Report - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- We Needed a New President, Not Comprehensive Immigration Reform - The Daily Signal - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- May Day marches across U.S. demand workers rights, immigration reform, and economic justice - AP News - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Canada Takes Bold Steps Towards Immigration Reform By Setting New Caps For Permanent And Temporary Residents And Introducing Changes That Will... - May 5th, 2025 [May 5th, 2025]
- Failure on immigration reform comes at a high cost for Texas, San Antonio - San Antonio Express-News - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- DHS closes office that advocated for migrants calling it a roadblock to immigration reform - The Independent - March 25th, 2025 [March 25th, 2025]
- Construction industry braces for higher costs due to tariffs and immigration reform - KGW.com - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Democrats aim to reverse Floridas illegal immigration reform with new legislation - WFLA - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Callously deporting longtime U.S. residents is yet another failure of Trumps immigration reform efforts | Editorial - The Philadelphia Inquirer - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Who Is Jeanette Vizguerra? ICE Arrests Immigration Reform Activist And Undocumented Mother - Times Now - March 20th, 2025 [March 20th, 2025]
- Demonstrators gather in south Omaha to protest immigration reform - Nebraska News Service - March 11th, 2025 [March 11th, 2025]
- Catholic Bishops Along the US-Mexico Border Advocate for Immigration Reform - Mwakilishi.com - March 3rd, 2025 [March 3rd, 2025]
- Letter: Comprehensive immigration reform is needed - Quad-City Times - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Media Advisory: FAIR, Sheriffs and State Legislators to Hold D.C. Press Conference Urging Border Security Funding and Immigration Reform - PR Newswire - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Letter to the Editor: Immigration Reform Would Benefit Wisconsin Farmers - Exponent - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- OK, No Immigration Reform (But Lets Use The Laws Already On The Books) - A Groundbreaking Examination of U.S. Immigration Policies by Veteran Lawyer... - February 20th, 2025 [February 20th, 2025]
- Legislators Analise Ortiz, Katherine Maranda and Casar Aguilar call for immigration reform - Yahoo - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Its well past time for U.S. immigration reform (again) - Angelus News - February 11th, 2025 [February 11th, 2025]
- Protestors take to the streets to call for immigration reform in Los Angeles - uscannenbergmedia.com - February 9th, 2025 [February 9th, 2025]
- Archbishop Prez on the Need for Balanced, Compassionate, and Comprehensive Immigration Reform - CatholicPhilly.com - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Bishops across US defend migrants, calling for immigration reform in justice and mercy - Our Sunday Visitor - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Project Red Card aims to ease concerns over Trump immigration reform in Latino communities - WCNC.com - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Power to the people: governor, legislators want voters to weigh in on immigration reform - Central Florida Public Media (previously WMFE) - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Florida lawmakers file extensive immigration reform bills ahead of special session - WJXT News4JAX - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Executive Orders Are a Good Start, But We Need Lasting Immigration Reform. Here's Where to Start | Opinion - Newsweek - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Project Red Cards aims to ease concerns over Trump immigration reform in Latino communities - WCNC.com - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- David Reel: Addressing border security and immigration reform - Broad + Liberty - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- NMPF hoping for caution on immigration reform - Agri-News - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- DOJ Letter Bolsters Drummond Appeal of Injunction Against State Immigration Reform Law - Ponca City Now - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Emotional Selena Gomez breaks down in tears, vows to support immigration reform amid deportation policies - AS USA - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- 'El Norte' Director Says His 1983 Sundance Classic on Immigration Reform Is 'More Relevant Today' | Video - TheWrap - February 1st, 2025 [February 1st, 2025]
- Chicago mayor reiterates opposition to incoming Trump admin's immigration reform - Fox News - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Mann eager for immigration reform tied to border security, deportation, work permits - Kansas Reflector - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Rockford groups advocate for immigration reform ahead of Trump Administration - WREX.com - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Peoples March brings hundreds to Center City calling for abortion rights, immigration reform, and more - Billy Penn - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology Calls for Just and Humane Immigration Reform - Jesuits.org - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Idaho Sheriffs' Association calls for immigration reform and enforcement action - Idaho News - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Rep. Adam Gray looking forward to working with Trump on immigration reform - KTXL FOX 40 Sacramento - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]
- Changing minds on immigration reform means changing voters priorities, not just their positions - LSE - January 19th, 2025 [January 19th, 2025]