Gov. Ron DeSantis signs 3 bills creating stiffer penalties for illegal immigration

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three bills to combat illegal immigration in Florida. These bills also continue Florida’s efforts to maintain law and order and take proactive measures against undocumented migrants who engage in criminal activity.

“The federal government has failed in its responsibility to secure our southern border, leaving states to fend for themselves,” DeSantis said in a news release on Friday. “In Florida, we do not tolerate illegal immigration, let alone lawlessness committed by illegal aliens who shouldn’t be here in the first place. The bills I signed today further enhance Florida’s capabilities to uphold the law.”

DeSantis signed the following bills into law on Friday:

• SB 1036, which enhances penalties for a crime committed by an individual who returns to the country illegally after an initial deportation. 
• HB 1451, which prevents counties and municipalities from accepting ID cards issued to illegal aliens by other jurisdictions.
• HB 1589, which increases penalties on individuals who operate a vehicle without a license.

DeSantis signed the bills two days after his office announced the deployment of additional officers to South Florida and the Florida Keys amid a potential surge of migrants from Haiti, due
to mounting violence, as armed gangs fight in the capital of Port-au-Prince.

“I’m sad to see that situation decline as much as right now, it’s never been that worse before,” Frantz Beneus told WPTV’s Todd Wilson. “I don’t see no way out, because it’s mixed with so many different problems.”

Lawmakers from Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast weighed in on Thursday regarding DeSantis’ orders to deploy additional officers to South Florida to stop the potential influx of immigration from Haiti amid the unrest.

Many of the state representatives who spoke to WPTV’s Cassandra Garcia believe the state’s resources should be used in other ways to help the Caribbean nation.

“Use the resources of those officers and instead provide aid,” Florida Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton, said. “At least go in and get some kids out of the orphanage or go and get some people out of the hospital or go and help some people. How is this helpful?”

“I would suggest that the best way possible is to help the people of Haiti to establish a stable government and a stationary government there,” Florida Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, said. “As far as the people that are trying to come here, that is their choice to try to do that. We have a broken immigration system and this just goes to further tax that.”