Governor Ron DeSantis signs three bills targeting undocumented immigrants involved in criminal activities in Florida.
“The federal government has failed to fulfill its responsibility to secure our southern border, leaving states to fend for themselves,” DeSantis said in a press release. “In Florida, we do not tolerate illegal immigration, much less the anarchy committed by illegal aliens who, in the first place, should not be here. The bills I signed further enhance Florida’s law enforcement capabilities.”
DeSantis signed the following bills on Friday:
- SB 1036, which increases penalties for a crime committed by an individual who illegally reenters the country after an initial deportation.
- HB 1451, which prevents counties and municipalities from accepting identification cards issued to undocumented immigrants by other jurisdictions.
- HB 1589, which increases penalties for individuals operating a vehicle without a license.
DeSantis’s announcement comes days after three undocumented immigrants from Guatemala were arrested after the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said they forced a woman into a vehicle and sexually assaulted her at two locations west of Lake Worth Beach.
One of the immigrants had been previously cited for driving without a license, according to court records.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder has long described the U.S. southern border as the primary source of drug trafficking and jail overcrowding in his county. Snyder also said undocumented immigrants are linked to many of the sexual assault crimes in Martin County.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in sexual offenses against youth here,” Snyder said. “Unfortunately, much of that is occurring within the undocumented community.”
Earlier in March, Snyder stated that undocumented immigrants are contributing to overcrowding at the Martin County jail.
“Of the thirty-some [undocumented migrants] I have, a good percentage of them are there for very violent crimes,” Snyder said.
Image: Wflx
