TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Solving the illegal immigration crisis is a priority for both President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
A special session on this issue is scheduled to be held within a week, on January 27th.
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Mr. DeSantis announced a special legislative proposal on immigration that includes law enforcement compliance, criminal penalties for illegal immigration, education and voting reforms, and the appointment of a state immigration official.
In addition, several bills have already been introduced for both the upcoming special session and the spring session.
After taking the oath of office, the 47th president announced plans to declare a national emergency at the southern border. And in an effort to support the Trump administration, Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on state legislatures to help address the issue.
“We are not approaching this new administration in a lazy manner. We in the state of Florida have a sense of urgency to accomplish this mission,” DeSantis said.
A state lawmaker is proposing an immigration bill that could affect the state’s schools and universities.
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State Sen. Randy Fine (R-Brevard) has urgently reintroduced Senate Bill 90, which would eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students, in a special session.
“We’ve found that sometimes when we introduce a bill, voters give us even better ideas,” Fine said.
After speaking with voters, Sen. Fine is considering banning illegal aliens from enrolling in some Florida universities.
Senate Bill 244 would prohibit the admission of illegal aliens to Florida colleges or universities with an acceptance rate of less than 85%.
State House Democrats do not appear to be on board with calls for a special session or immigrant education reform.
“This is an area where Florida’s perspective doesn’t necessarily align with the national perspective,” said state Rep. Fentris Driskell, D-Hillsboro. “Ensuring tuition is available to these students has always been a bipartisan effort. In fact, Governor DeSantis himself led the way in enacting legislation that could provide tuition for Dreamers. Lieutenant Governor Janet Nuñez.
However, Lieutenant Governor Janet Nunez expressed support for a special legislative session, saying in a post on X, “It’s time to embrace these new proposals and repeal existing laws that encourage illegal immigration.” .
With President Trump officially inaugurated and a special legislative session just a week away, there could be more bills and proposals from state lawmakers on immigration.
