Florida 'Senate Backs DeSantis' Controversial Immigration, Education, Health Care Changes

The Florida Senate on Friday approved an immigration bill that Republican supporters say aims to force the federal government to address the “invasion” of undocumented immigrants into the country, while Democratic lawmakers say the proposal could lead to racial discrimination.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 27-10 along party lines to pass the measure.

The Senate also intensified the culture war waged by conservative Republicans on Friday, when it also passed a bill on college diversity programs and another that would allow doctors to refuse treatment if they have moral objections to certain procedures.

The higher education bill would prohibit state universities from using state or federal money for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, or to promote political or social activism.

The health care bill would allow doctors to refuse to perform abortions, vasectomies or other family planning procedures if the provider objects on religious grounds.

The immigration bill ( SB 1718 ) includes a number of provisions requested by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who drew national attention last year after his administration moved 49 migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

The bill includes $12 million to transport immigrants to other states, directing the money to the state's Division of Emergency Management for the “Transportation of Unauthorized Aliens” program.

The bill would also strengthen penalties against businesses that hire undocumented immigrants, allow state law enforcement officials to conduct random audits of businesses' compliance with the law, and increase penalties for human smuggling.

“We can no longer turn a blind eye to what is happening. It is time for us, the state of Florida, to step up and tell the federal government to fix this problem because we are no longer standing up for it,” said the bill's sponsor, Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill.

The measure would require hospitals to track how much money is spent treating undocumented immigrants in emergency rooms, a requirement that Democrats warned could have disastrous results for sick or injured people who might not seek treatment because they don't want to reveal their identity. migratory status.

The plan would also prohibit local governments from giving money to organizations to create identification cards for undocumented immigrants and would state that Florida will not recognize driver's licenses issued to undocumented immigrants in other states.

The bill would also change a human smuggling law to make it a felony for someone to transport into the state an individual “who the person knows, or reasonably should know” has entered the country illegally.

Critics of the proposal said it would put people at risk of arrest when accompanying relatives or friends who are undocumented immigrants.

Democrats also argued that immigration laws are the purview of the federal government, not the state.