Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping package of immigration laws on Thursday aimed at carrying out President Donald Trump ’s mass deportation agenda.
Republicans say the laws put Florida — long a haven for immigrants — on the leading edge of conservative-controlled states working to leverage state and local resources for federal immigration enforcement.
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Death Penalty for Certain Crimes
Florida’s new legislation mandates the death penalty for immigrants in the U.S. without legal authorization who commit capital offenses such as first-degree murder or child rape.
Democrats and civil rights advocates say that provision is unconstitutional, citing previous Supreme Court precedent.
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New Crime for Entering State
The laws would increase penalties for all crimes committed by immigrants in the country without authorization, and would create a new crime of entering the state after coming to the U.S. illegally.
The new crime applies to undocumented immigrants over age 18 who "knowingly" enter Florida "after entering the United States by eluding or avoiding examination or inspection by immigration officers."
No In-State Tuition for Students in Country Illegally
Another provision repeals a law that allows Florida students who are in the country without legal authorization to qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
Lawmakers and then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 approved the law, which allows undocumented immigrant students to avoid higher out-of-state tuition rates if they meet certain criteria.
With Republican supermajorities in both chambers, Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to amend the bill to allow students who have already started studying at colleges and universities to pay in-state tuition rates until they graduate.
Nearly $300M Set Aside for Immigration Enforcement
Around $298 million would be allocated to hire more than 50 new law enforcement officers focused on immigration, plus grants to equip and train local agencies, bonuses for officers who assist in federal operations, and reimbursement for leasing detention facilities.
A part of the main bill creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement made up of the governor, agriculture commissioner, attorney general and state chief financial officer. The board will coordinate immigration enforcement activities with federal officials and dole out $250 million in grants to local law-enforcement agencies to assist federal enforcement efforts. Decisions made by the board would have to be unanimous.
The bill also includes significant changes to a 2023 law that created the “Unauthorized Alien Transport Program” within the state Division of Emergency Management. Lawmakers in 2023 steered $12 million to the agency, bolstering DeSantis’ efforts to relocate undocumented immigrants to places such as Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Under the new law, the state agency could only transport migrants out of the state if federal immigration officials "specifically request assistance," cover the costs of the travel and oversee the operations.
