Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed a trio of new laws discouraging illegal immigration just in time for Title 42’s expiry.
The three bills hope to quell the influx of migrants into Florida by posing harsher restrictions on those who employ migrants, cracking down on human trafficking, and preventing migrants from sanctuary cities from using IDs issued by those cities in Florida.
DeSantis Signs Strongest Anti-Illegal Immigration Bills Into Law As Biden Border Crisis Worsens https://t.co/r0uGazxcpL pic.twitter.com/CtVhT8X1ip
— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) May 11, 2023
House Bill 1451: Identification Documents prevents the issuing of IDs to illegal immigrants, and makes it illegal to accept IDs, such as driver’s licenses, issued to illegal immigrants in other states.
Detractors argue that not issuing IDs may make it harder to track arrests and other offenses committed by illegal aliens, but the bill primarily aims to discourage illegal immigration in the first place.
House Bill 1598: Driving without a Valid Driver License increases maximum and minimum sentences for illegal immigrants who drive without a license.
This Bill was supported by Florida state Rep. Kiyan Michael, (R) whose 21-year-old son was killed when his car was hit by an illegal immigrant who had been deported multiple times.
“My entire purpose here, today, and when I go back to Tallahassee is to make sure that no other mother, not another father, no other family has to endure what we’ve had to do,” she said at the news conference.
Senate Bill 1036: Reclassification of Criminal Penalties will raise penalties for criminals who were previously deported. If a deported immigrant reenters the country and commits another crime, the crime will be considered more serious.
A third-degree felony after being deported will be charged as a second-degree felony, a second-degree felony will be charged as a first-degree and a first-degree will be charged as a life felony.
The bill will also increase penalties for crimes done in support of drug cartels.
These laws come in anticipation of a wave of migration from Haiti, where longstanding unrest has come to a violent head following the prime minister’s resignation.
DeSantis hopes that these bills will help slow the surge of migrants expected to enter the country amid Biden’s disastrous border policies, the end of Title 42 and growing unrest throughout the world.
