Gov. Ron Desantis pushes to support the federal government’s deportation efforts, despite remaining locked up in a deadlock with legislative leaders over new laws to strengthen state and local immigration enforcement. It’s there.
On Friday, he signed a contract that the Florida Highway Patrol is part of a federal immigration enforcement program with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency under the Department of Homeland Security.
“We have to step up to do our part,” DeSantis told reporters at the Capitol. “The goal is that we need to reestablish internal enforcement in this country.”
Under the programme known as 287(g), select FHP officers are trained to assist in enforcing immigration laws. For example, state troopers are allowed to ask drivers about immigrant status and detain and arrest illegal immigrants.
FHP has 2,000 troopers. It is unclear how many people will be trained under the program and when they will be trained in local level enforcement.
But agreements with Senate Speaker Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez on a comprehensive immigration bill remain elusive.
DeSantis said he continues to slam contracts with them to increase immigration enforcement rights under the institutions he manages. He originally called on Congress to a special session last week, passing a series of measures, including giving his agency the ability to transport illegal immigrants directly to foreign countries, and assisting federal immigrants with local police. He even demanded that he face criminal charges.
Albritton and Perez balked the proposal and instead handed one of their own that stopped the lack of a full sweep of power pushed out by DeSantis, which was a number of immigrant enforcements under agricultural commissioner Wilton Simpson I pulled my strength.
DeSantis quickly continued his attack, rejecting the bill and calling for Republicans who voted for it, weakening his push to exploit the massive executive order issued by President Donald Trump to promote deportation He claimed he was trying to make it into a new state.
However, last week, DeSantis softened his tone, saying that the final bill had an ongoing discussion with Albritton and Perez.
“We will work sincerely with the people of Congress to ensure that state law reflects the urgency of the situation and to maximize support for the Trump administration’s agenda in line with these policies. I did it,” DeSantis said.
The deal with GOP lawmakers may need to pass another special session despite the legislature preparing for a regular 60-day session that is scheduled to begin on March 4th. there is. Meanwhile, Congress has yet to send him the bills passed. Previous special session, SB 2b.
Democrats rejected both DeSantis and the legislative leader’s plans, particularly over a plan to scrap a decade-old law that would provide state tuition fees for children illegally brought to the country by their parents.
Gray Rohrer is a reporter for the USA Today Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be contacted at grohrer@gannett.com. X: Follow him on @grayrohrer.
