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Florida city criminalizes illegal immigration in historic move to enforce Trump, DeSantis mission

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Florida city criminalizes illegal immigration in historic move to enforce Trump, DeSantis mission

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The city of Jacksonville, Florida, ignited an immigration firestorm, criminalizing illegal entry as a city council member touted the “public safety” benefits.

Fox News Digital spoke with at-large Jacksonville City Council member Nick Howland on the city’s ordinance #2025-0147, known as the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, which was passed by the city council 12-5 last week and signed into law on Tuesday.

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We are the first city in the country to enact this kind of bill,” Howland said. “We’re standing with our president, with our governor, with our state legislature to secure our borders, to reverse the Biden wave of illegal immigration and to keep our streets and our neighborhoods safe.”

The bill not only criminalizes illegal immigration but also allocates resources to help the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office identify individuals without legal status.

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City leaders passed the Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act. (Visit Jacksonville)

One of the main resources listed in the bill was a request for 25 mobile fingerprint scanners for law enforcement. 

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The legislation will also make it a local crime for undocumented immigrants to enter or reside in the city of Jacksonville. First-time offenders face a mandatory 30-day jail sentence, while repeat offenders could receive up to 60 days in jail.

“There are two main parts to the bill. The first is what we’ve already discussed; it criminalizes entering or residing in Duval County if you are an illegal immigrant. The second part focuses on determining whether someone is in the country illegally,” he said.

Sheriff T.K. Waters

Sheriff T.K. Waters said this move helps the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)

Howland said, like most sheriff’s offices and police departments, Jacksonville uses fingerprint readers.

“This bill helps [Jacksonville] Sheriff T.K. Waters determine how many additional fingerprint readers are needed to equip every patrol unit operating 24/7 throughout the city and county,” he said.

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Jacksonville covers over 800 square miles, and the bill allocates $76,000 for 25 more fingerprint readers. 

“That will bring the department’s total to just over 150, roughly one for every patrol,” he said. “This is critical because it gives the sheriff another tool in the toolbox.”

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In 2024, 602 undocumented immigrants were detained in Duval County. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took custody of 334 for deportation, according to the legislation, written by City Council member Kevin Carrico. The rest either served their time or were released on bail.

Among those 334 deportation cases, there were 94 charges for battery, 140 for DUI, as well as cases involving murder and sexual assault.

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“This is, at the end of the day, a public safety bill,” Howland said. “This is keeping people off the streets that would otherwise endanger our community. And we need to know when someone is legal or illegal and the fingerprint readers help.”

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan spoke out against the ordinance at a press conference on April 2, 2025. (City of Jacksonville)

While proponents of the law, like Howland, have boasted about its potential impact on public safety, others have criticized it for its redundancy and the implementation of “stop and frisk” policies.

“It has always been my position that we will provide the equipment and resources they need. So they will receive the funding for the 25 fingerprint scanners that have been requested. I wish that alone had been all 2025-147 was,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news conference. 

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“But it’s not. Instead, it includes language that is hurtful and performative but not substantive,” she said. “There is nothing in this bill that isn’t already required by federal or state law. And in fact, the state law already carries a harsher penalty. So why would JSO need to arrest someone under a new local ordinance when they already have a stronger state law?”

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Deegan noted that the city has had an agreement with ICE since 2008 and that sanctuary cities have been banned in the Sunshine State since 2019.

“Any suggestion to the contrary is intentionally misleading,” she said. “On top of it being redundant, this bill puts our local government in a lane where it doesn’t belong. Courts have repeatedly ruled that immigration enforcement is a function of the federal government.”

A view of downtown Jacksonville, Florida, at dusk as it looked in 2022.

At-large Jacksonville City Council member Nick Howland said the legislation is “at the end of the day, a public safety bill.” (Visit Jacksonville)

Howland said that even if there are already laws on the books, this adds additional support and flexibility for local police, which makes it worthwhile.

“There’s nothing redundant about giving police another tool in their toolbox to ensure we have safe streets and neighborhoods,” he said.

He said the new city ordinance goes a step further than state and federal laws, making it a local offense to enter or reside within Jacksonville as an illegal migrant. It gives Jacksonville authorities more power to enforce immigration violations locally, he said.

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“This allows the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to use the new law to detain individuals a bit longer, long enough to potentially turn them over to ICE,” he said.

“Why is that important? As I mentioned, over 600 people were detained last year, but only 334 were referred to ICE for deportation. With this law, the sheriff’s office can hold individuals longer if they’ve broken the law by entering the country illegally. That means we can increase the number of cases referred to ICE for potential deportation, if necessary.”

Jacksonville, Florida police vehicle

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office saw a massive drop in violent crime in 2024. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said the department has seen firsthand the consequences of “failed border policies on public safety.”

“The Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act provides our agency with additional tools and resources to help address those threats and ensure that offenders are held accountable,” he told Fox News Digital. “Furthermore, it sends a clear message that Jacksonville will not be a sanctuary for criminals who enter our country illegally.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment. 

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David Perdue confirmed as Trump's top China diplomat after key Senate vote

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David Perdue confirmed as Trump's top China diplomat after key Senate vote

Former Georgia GOP Sen. David Perdue was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate 67-29 as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to China.

Perdue, a former business executive with companies like Tennessee-based Dollar General and experience in global supply chains, including through Beijing, has long been a close ally of the president.

The ex-lawmaker, who is also the cousin of former Gov. Sonny Perdue, passed his critical cloture vote by 64-27 on Monday evening, which ended further substantial debate on his nomination.

Perdue narrowly lost his 2021 runoff election with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., by just over 1%, or about 55,000 votes, and also, despite a presidential endorsement, failed in his quest to defeat Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in 2022’s Republican primary.

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Then-former President Donald Trump shakes hands with then-Republican candidate for governor David Perdue at a “Save America Rally” at the Banks County Dragway on Saturday, March 26, 2022. (IMAGN)

Fox News Digital also reached out to Ossoff for comment on his former foe’s confirmation.

During his confirmation hearing, Perdue said, “Marxist nationalism” is reshaping China and that their global ambitions threaten the world order.

“Since 2000, China has doubled its nuclear arsenal and grown its military at a pace unseen since WWII. They have militarized the South China Sea and violated their agreement in Hong Kong.”

“Their Social Credit Score system and extensive policing capability are designed to enforce domestic state control. Their Belt and Road Initiative and their Made in China 2025 statements demonstrate their global ambitions,” Perdue said.

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“They speak of a global ‘community of common destiny for all mankind.’ Put simply, they want a world more in line with their authoritarian principles.”

Perdue went on to argue that Trump’s “America First” strategy that greatly affects the U.S.’s relationship with China is not isolationist, but “just the reverse.”

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“America will be a stronger ally and partner by rebuilding our strategic supply chains at home and with our friends.”

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping, like Trump, only respects strength and that, if confirmed, he will work on reciprocity and security agreements with Beijing.

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“Our approach to China should be nuanced, nonpartisan, and strategic,” Perdue said.

On Taiwan, which China views as a breakaway province, Perdue said he will support the longstanding “One China” policy while remaining committed to a “peaceful resolution” of tensions that is acceptable to both Beijing and Taipei.

“I will also ensure focus on our priority to eliminate fentanyl precursors and hold China accountable on human rights.”

The Senate recently confirmed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

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Three more Trump-diplomat nominees will see votes on cloture and likely ensuing tallies on their confirmations later Tuesday.

Former Reagan staffer and New York real estate investor Tom Barrack is up for an ambassadorship to Turkey, while Landry’s Restaurants and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is looking to serve as ambassador to Italy and San Marino, and Arkansas investment banker billionaire Warren Stephens has his sights on being the U.S.’ top diplomat to its closest European ally, the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

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Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff says Trump's 'chaos and uncertainty' leading to economic challenges

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Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff says Trump's 'chaos and uncertainty' leading to economic challenges

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said the economic challenge sparked by President Donald Trump’s “chaos and uncertainty” is the biggest issue facing the Peach State, stressing that the president’s uncertain economic policy is impacting how businesses and residents make decisions for the future.

Ossoff, preparing to run for re-election in 2026, potentially against Georgia’s popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who has yet to announce if he will join the race. Ossoff is the only Democrat seeking reelection who represents a state that Trump won last year, making him a top target for Republicans hoping to maintain their Senate majority.

“I am more than prepared for any challenger,” Ossoff, 38, told The Associated Press on Saturday while declining to comment on any potential opponents.

Ossoff defeated incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue in a runoff in 2021, helping Democrats flip control of the Senate and hold onto the chamber’s majority for four years during the Biden administration.

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Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., speaks during an interview at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Marietta, Georgia. (AP)

During his first four years, Ossoff attempted to establish a reputation as a senator working to advance Georgia’s traditional interests, including its farmers and military bases. He says he will attempt to work with Republicans to deliver for Georgia.

The senator, who has recently intensified his criticisms of Trump, warned Saturday that businesses and households in Georgia are struggling to plan for the future because of constant changes in the federal government’s trade and economic moves.

“Businesses are unable to invest with an understanding of what the rules of international trade will be from one hour or week or month to the next,” Ossoff told The Associated Press. “Households are unable to plan their annual budgets because there’s so much chaos and uncertainty in the implementation of federal economic policy.”

“This administration needs to clearly define its economic objectives, and it needs to competently implement its plan, whatever that plan may be,” he continued. “The fact that the White House does not even know what its policy is, and is with such unpredictability and chaos, lurching from one policy to the other, is putting the state’s economy at serious economic risk.”

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Sen. Ossoff

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., speaks during an interview at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Marietta, Georgia. (AP)

Ossoff also expressed concerns about Trump’s authoritarian and “un-American” executive action since returning to the White House in January, pointing to the president’s attempts to go after his political opponents.

“We have never seen a president try to wield the federal government to crush his critics and political adversaries,” Ossoff said. “That’s something new in American history, and it is, in my view, un-American. And it’s something that should chill us to the bone, no matter our politics, no matter our policy preferences.”

The lawmaker urged Republicans to remember that eventually a Democrat will be president again and “the shoe will be on the other foot.”

“This is about checks and balances,” he said. “This is about whether or not the executive branch is constrained as designed by our Constitution, by judicious legislators who can put their partisanship aside to protect the public interest.”

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Ossoff explained that, while Democrats have limited power without control of the White House or either chamber of Congress, a big part of his job at the moment is to inform the people of Georgia that Trump’s policies are not in the state’s best interest.

Jon Ossoff

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., speaks during an interview at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Marietta, Georgia. (AP)

In addition to his criticism of Trump, Ossoff has cited shortcomings during the Biden administration, particularly when it comes to border security. He was one of 12 Democrats who voted for the Laken Riley Act, named after a Georgia nursing student murdered by Venezuelan migrant Jose Antonio Ibarra.

The law requires illegal migrants accused — even without a conviction — of theft or violent crimes to be detained by the Department of Homeland Security.

“My view is that the American people expect and deserve secure borders,” Ossoff said. “And I think the Biden administration failed in its border policies. The American people expect and deserve for people who enter this country illegally and may pose a threat to public safety or national security to be apprehended by the authorities.”

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“But the American people don’t support and don’t expect federal police raids on elementary schools and hospitals and churches,” he continued, referring to the Trump administration’s controversial immigration enforcement actions. “And [the American people] don’t expect our military installations to become mass prison camps for immigrants and don’t want entire families rounded up with no due process. We just learned yesterday about a two-year-old U.S. citizen — a two-year-old girl — who was deported without due process. Our immigration policy needs to be responsible and serious. It also needs to be humane.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Federal judge orders local law enforcement to stop enforcing new immigration law

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Federal judge orders local law enforcement to stop enforcing new immigration law

A federal judge in Florida said an order that blocks local police from enforcing a new state immigration law applied to all local agencies despite the state’s attorney general stating otherwise in a recent memo.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams told attorneys for the state during a hearing in Miami on Tuesday that she planned to issue a preliminary injunction against a statute that makes it a misdemeanor for undocumented migrants to enter Florida by eluding immigration officials.

Williams said she was “surprised and shocked” that Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told local police in a letter last week that they didn’t need to follow her order. 

“What I am offended by is someone suggesting you don’t have to follow my order, that it’s not legitimate,” Williams said.

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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier during a press conference on April 14. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Williams issued a temporary restraining order against the statute. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law in February as part of President Donald Trump’s push to crack down on illegal immigration.

Police conduct immigration enforcement in Florida

A task force comprised of local and federal law enforcement agencies search a suspected illegal migrant’s vehicle in St. Johns County, Florida, on Feb. 24, following a traffic stop. (Stephanie Keith for Fox News Digital)

Williams extended the order another 11 days after learning authorities had arrested 15 people, including a U.S. citizen born in Georgia.

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After the extension, Uthmeier sent a memo to state and local law enforcement officers telling them to stop enforcing the law, even though he disagreed with the judge’s order. 

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Five days later, however, Uthmeier sent another memo saying that the judge was legally wrong and that he couldn’t prevent local police officers and deputies from enforcing the law. 

No additional arrests have been reported since Uthmeier’s second memo.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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