The Florida Legislature on Tuesday approved a sweeping immigration bill backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would stiffen requirements on businesses to check the immigration status of workers and provide more funding for the governor's migrant relocation program.
The GOP-controlled House gave the proposal final passage on a party-line vote with Republicans in support. It passed the Senate last week and now moves to the governor's office to be signed into law.
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The bill provides $12 million for DeSantis' migrant relocation initiative, which drew national attention last year when the governor flew a group of South American migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, a move intended to protest federal immigration policy.
The measure also expands requirements for businesses with more than 25 staffers to use E-Verify, a federal system that determines if employees can legally work in the U.S. It prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses held by undocumented immigrants.
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Another provision would require hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics said was intended to dissuade undocumented immigrants from seeking medical care.
“This bill is politically driven, and it’s an anti-immigrant bill that will hurt and even kill undocumented immigrants,” said Rep. Susan Valdes, a Democrat.
DeSantis said the legislative package is a counter to Democratic President Joe Biden's border policy, previously saying "we won’t turn a blind eye to the dangers of Biden’s Border Crisis. We will continue to take steps to protect Floridians from reckless federal open-border policies."
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The governor's Republican allies in the statehouse largely mirrored his comments.
“We can't solve the problem in Washington. But we can send a message that says in Florida, we've had enough,” said Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican.
Republicans control a supermajority in the Florida Legislature and have focused on DeSantis priorities this session as the governor moves to stack conservative policy wins ahead of his anticipated presidential campaign announcement.
The passage of the bill comes as the Biden administration announced will send 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border amid record numbers of people crossing the border.
Last week, amid Biden's announcement of his reelection campaign, administration officials announced they would work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border, quickly deport those deemed as not being qualified, and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.
They will also open centers outside the United States for people to apply to fly in legally and settle in the United States, Spain or Canada. The first processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow.
