On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly signed a comprehensive set of immigration laws that will implement President Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations.
Republicans claim that the legislation places Florida, a state that has historically been a sanctuary for immigrants, at the forefront of conservative-led states’ efforts to increase state and local funding for federal immigration enforcement.
Legislators in Florida are setting themselves up for a potential legal battle as they push a measure that opponents claim is unconstitutional, as Trump supporters in state capitols throughout the nation scramble to deliver on the president’s signature issue — despite worries from immigrant activists.
According to Florida’s new law, foreign nationals who enter the country illegally and commit deadly crimes like first-degree murder or child rape will be executed. This clause surpasses the scope of Trump’s executive directives.
After weeks of disagreement among the state’s leading Republicans about how best to back Trump’s broad crackdown on illegal immigration, legislative leaders mediated a deal that resulted in DeSantis approving the bills.
In addition to grants to educate and equip local agencies, bonuses for officers who support federal operations, and compensation for leasing detention facilities, the $298 million would be used to hire more than 50 new immigration-focused law enforcement personnel.
Additionally, the proposal requires immigrants who commit capital crimes while in the country illegally to be executed.
The measures would establish a new felony of entering the state after entering the United States illegally and stiffen punishment for all offenses committed by immigrants in the nation without permission.
Legislators abandoned an earlier plan to deprive the governor of most of his emergency immigration powers as part of the agreement.
[READ MORE: DeSantis Endorses Abolishing Property Taxes in Florida]
