DREAM Act Portal Forum - WARNING: Florida Just Went Nuclear On Illegal Immigration And Even DACA

DREAM Act Portal Forum (http://dreamact.info/forum/index.php)

- The News Room (http://dreamact.info/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=23)

- - WARNING: Florida Just Went Nuclear On Illegal Immigration And Even DACA (http://dreamact.info/forum/showthread.php?t=85895)

WARNING: Florida Just Went Nuclear On Illegal Immigration And Even DACA

https://www.wesh.com/article/desanti...OQQr0y0Q2AN7Rw

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping immigration reform bill into law on Thursday, creating a state board for immigration enforcement and imposing stricter penalties on undocumented immigrants.

“Today, the Florida Legislature has passed the strongest legislation to combat illegal immigration of any state in the entire county,” DeSantis said during a news conference.

It was the end of a saga that started during January's special session. Republican legislative leadership broke away from DeSantis, rebuffing his plans for their own and creating the "Trump Act."

But after "dialogue" between DeSantis, House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton, the three said they've come to a compromise.

"We are ahead of the curve on ending the illegal immigration crisis," DeSantis said. We didn't sit on our hands. We got to work."

Part of the plan would be to create a state board of immigration enforcement comprised of the governor, agriculture commissioner, attorney general and state chief financial officer.

"We all had one common goal, and the goal was to solve for the crisis of illegal immigration through the vision of President Trump," House Speaker Daniel Perez said. "We may have had different ways of how to get there, but at the end of the day those are discussions that were healthy, necessary, and make democracy way better after the conversation has been had."

This new set of bills, among other things, would create an automatic death penalty for undocumented immigrants who commit capital offenses.

It will also sunset the in-state tuition fee waiver for so-called "Dreamers" at the end of this school year.

Many senators and representatives, including some Republicans, opposed the tuition waivers, calling them a "poison pill."

"We know education is a ticket out of poverty, and to deny this opportunity to our dreamers who did nothing wrong is a short-sighted policy that hurts us economically," Democratic State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith said.

After the floor session, Brevard County Republican Sen. Randy Fine is fighting that notion.

"It is an offensive term to take a group of people and say they are the dreamers," Fine said. "What about every single kid that goes to high school in Florida? They don't get to be dreamers, too?"

The state House followed suit, passing the bills without changes despite Democratic members putting up several amendments. At the end of the day, the DeSantis called it a win for Florida.

"The voters who have been talking to me about this for many, many years, who wanted to see swift action," DeSantis said. "Just know that what the legislature did today, that answers the call."

The governor added that these bills are not "window dressing," and the state will soon start making changes.

He also said he expects other states to follow suit. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers said that with the special session over, it's time to return to Central Florida and work to help immigrants.