(The Center Square) – Immigration enforcement proposals were signed into law Thursday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, creating what he bills as the nation’s strongest.
The second-term Republican governor signed Senate Bill 4C and Senate Bill 2C in a ceremony in Tallahassee, flanked by House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula.
The bills were passed in a short special session that gaveled out on Thursday afternoon. The governor and Republican majority chambers have quarreled about the bills for three weeks, including at one point DeSantis saying they would be “toothless.”
It began Jan. 27 with DeSantis’ call for special session; lawmakers hastily gaveled in and out of it, then started a new one.
“I want to thank President Albritton and Speaker Perez for meeting this moment, rising to the occasion and for producing a product that reflects the values and aspirations of the voters who sent us here in the first place,” DeSantis said. “As Florida has led on this, there’s been a team effort. The Legislature has been with us on issue after issue.”
All three leaders spoke about putting 10 days of conflict behind them and working together on other issues.
“Over the last 10 days, leading to this event today, is all about Floridians,” Albritton said. “Going forward, once this implemented, Florida children, Florida grandchildren, fathers, mothers are going to be safer. That is a high calling for us. That’s the number one reason I was willing to, with these two gentlemen, to lean in and run to this fight.”
Lawmakers also passed Senate Memorial 6C, which would codify the state’s relationship with the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help combat illegal immigration and was passed by both chambers on Thursday.
“We had one common goal and the goal was to solve the crisis of illegal immigration through the vision of President Trump,” Perez said. “We may have had different ways on how to get there, but at the end of the day, those are discussions that were healthy, were necessary and make democracy way better after that conversation has been had.”
All three bills were sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota.
SB4C and SB2C creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement acting as a liaison with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on enforcement-related issues. The governor will be the chairman of the board and all of its actions must be by unanimous vote.
That board is advised by the State Board of Immigration Enforcement Council, a panel to be named of six police chiefs appointed by the governor and other statewide elected officials and four sheriffs appointed by legislative leaders.
The measure also allocates $250 million to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for their costs to help with immigration enforcement efforts.
The law mandates criminal penalties for people illegally in the state and would add harsher penalties for subsequent offenses.
The measure mandates a mandatory death penalty for people illegally in the country who commit murder or child rape.
If the legislation becomes law, those in the country illegally would be banned from taking part in any post-arrest diversion programs.
SB2C makes it a felony for people illegally in America to vote in state elections and prohibit the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles from issuing a driver’s license or identification card to those illegally in the country.