A Florida measure that would ban sanctuary cities is set for a vote Friday in the state’s Senate after clearing its first hurdle earlier this week.

The bill would effectively make it against the law for Florida’s police departments to refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials.


“The Governor may initiate judicial proceedings in the name of the state against such officers to enforce compliance,” a draft version of the Senate bill reads.

A House version of the bill, which passed by a 69-47 vote Wednesday, adds that non-complying officials could be suspended or removed from office and face fines of up to $5,000 per day. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign off on the measure, although it's not clear which version.

Florida is home to 775,000 illegal immigrants out of 10.7 million present in the United States, ranking the state third among all states.

Nine states -- Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas -- already have enacted state laws requiring law enforcement to comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Florida doesn’t have sanctuary cities like the ones in California and other states. But Republican lawmakers say a handful of their municipalities -- including Orlando and West Palm Beach – are acting as “pseudo-sanctuary” cities, because they prevent law enforcement officials from asking about immigration status when they make arrests.

“There are still people here in the state of Florida, police chiefs that are just refusing to contact ICE, refusing to detain somebody that they know is here illegally,” Florida Republican Rep. Blaise Ingoglia said earlier this month. “So while the actual county municipality doesn't have an actual adopted policy, they still have people in power within their sheriff's department or police department that refuse to do it anyway.”

Florida’s Democratic Party has blasted the anti-Sanctuary measures, while the Miami-Dade Police Department says it should be up to federal authorities to handle immigration-related matters.

“House Republicans today sold out their communities to Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis by passing this xenophobic and discriminatory bill,” the state’s Democratic Party said Wednesday after the House passed their version of the bill. “It's abhorrent that Republican members who represent immigrant communities are now turning their backs on their constituents and jeopardizing their safety.

“Florida has long stood as a beacon for immigrant communities — and today Republicans did the best they could to destroy that reputation,” they added.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/flo...ban-sanctuary-cities

Florida's Democrats imo will have an advantage in the years to come if stable trends stay the course. In my years here I've seen a definite trend of northern dems coming south for many decades. I'd venture to guess within 10yrs out to a Blue State. Many of my older friends have all moved out, very few remain, and thats mostly due to having kids in college. When thats done they're gone. I'm trying to make my exit simpler by getting our house prepped and ready for sale. Florida's getting some pretty wacky people here too. Peter Rabbit included

Florida's new Dem. Secretary of Agriculture is against it. Our local rag ran her letter to the editor twice, in case we missed it.

Since sanctuary cities are already breaking the law, aren't they already technically banned?

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
Florida's new Dem. Secretary of Agriculture is against it.

That bitch needs to get back in her lane. This is not a topic she has anything to do with, and apparently needs to be reminded of that reality.

quote:

Our local rag ran her letter to the editor twice, in case we missed it.

If you're talking about the Orlando Slantinel, I wouldn't worry about it. That paper is on death's doorstep and has a subscription base smaller than the UCF college newspaper. About the only people who still get it regularly are old folks who for the most part aren't going to have much sympathy for this issue.

The state legislature needs to make sure the penalties for non-compliance are very severe so some of these scumbag local politicos think before they violate it.