TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three bills on Friday that target undocumented migrants who engage in criminal activity in Florida.
"The federal government has failed in its responsibility to secure our southern border, leaving states to fend for themselves," DeSantis said in a news release on Friday. "In Florida, we do not tolerate illegal immigration, let alone lawlessness committed by illegal aliens who shouldn’t be here in the first place. The bills I signed today further enhance Florida's capabilities to uphold the law."
Region C Palm Beach County
Deputies: 3 undocumented immigrants arrested after woman sexually battered
DeSantis signed the following bills into law on Friday:
- SB 1036, which enhances penalties for a crime committed by an individual who returns to the country illegally after an initial deportation.
- HB 1451, which prevents counties and municipalities from accepting ID cards issued to undocumented migrants by other jurisdictions.
- HB 1589, which increases penalties on individuals who operate a vehicle without a license.
"You want to be pro-active. We are pro-active. We can wait to get overwhelmed and then do something," DeSantis said. "We're forward-leaning on this. We think it's important, and it's going to be the way we roll in the state of Florida."
Region C Palm Beach County
Arrested undocumented migrant previously cited for driving without license
DeSantis's office also announced this week the deployment of additional officers to South Florida and the Florida Keys amid a potential surge of migrants from Haiti, due to mounting violence, as armed gangs fight in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
"We will mobilize stuff and sometimes those resources end up not being needed," DeSantis said, "but I would much rather do that and then have it not be needed than to say, 'Well, we knew this was a possibility, but we just didn't want to do it.'"
The bills DeSantis signed into law create stiffer penalties for undocumented migrants who engage in criminal activity in Florida.
The governor has strong opposition to his policies.
"It's disappointing to see that a governor decides to kick people while they're down," Tessa Petit with the Florida Immigrant Coalition said.
She said Haitians make up the second-largest group of immigrants in the state of Florida, so why not embrace as they endure this desperate situation.
"There are other ways that the governor could have approached this could have been more practical, shown more sympathy and empathy for Haitians," she said.
Petit said her people wouldn't flee the country if things were safe and sound in Haiti.
DeSantis' announcement comes days after three undocumented migrants from Guatemala were arrested after the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said they forced a woman into a vehicle and sexually battered her at two locations just west of Lake Worth Beach.
One of the migrants was previously cited for driving without a license, according to court records, WPTV's Ethan Stein reported on Wednesday.
Region Martin County
Sheriff: Migrants contributing to overcrowded Martin County jail
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder has long-named the southern U.S. border as his county's main source of drug flow and jail overcrowding. Snyder also told WPTV's Kate Hussey that undocumented immigrants are also connected to many of Martin County's sex abuse crimes.
"We have seen an enormous spike in sex crimes against juveniles here," Snyder said. "Unfortunately, a lot of that is occurring in the undocumented community."
Region Martin County
Sexual battery linked to undocumented immigrants sparks debate in Martin County
In the beginning of March, Snyder also told WPTV that undocumented migrants are contributing to overcrowding in Martin County Jail.
"Of the 30-some-odd undocumented [migrants] that I have, a good percentage of them are there for very violent felonies," Snyder told investigative reporter Dave Bohman.
DeSantis's office also announced this week the deployment of additional officers to South Florida and the Florida Keys amid a potential surge of migrants from Haiti, due to mounting violence, as armed gangs fight in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
The bills DeSantis signed into law create stiffer penalties for undocumented migrants who engage in criminal activity in Florida.