Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis released his new budget for the state this week, and in it he requests millions of dollars to begin removing illegal aliens from his state.
“In yesterday’s budget, I put in $8 million for us to be able to transport people here illegally out of the state of Florida,” DeSantis said on Friday. “It’s somewhat tongue in cheek, but it is true, if you sent them to Delaware or Martha’s Vineyard or some of these places, that border would be secure the next day.”
DeSantis slammed Democrat President Joe Biden last month over Biden’s border crisis, which has seen an explosion of illegal immigration into the U.S., saying that he was thinking about busing the illegal aliens that Biden sends to Florida to Biden’s home state of Delaware.
The Miami Herald reported:
The proposed program, which the governor wants to pay for with interest accrued from federal funds, and a “series” of incoming legislative bills that he says will fight “back against the Biden border crisis” are the latest battle lines drawn by a governor who appears to be drumming up a potential challenge against President Joe Biden in 2024.
“One of the priorities that we’ve been working on for many months now, and we’ll continue to work with the legislature when they get back is dealing with the fallout from the reckless border policies of the Biden administration,” DeSantis said. “We have a responsibility to stand up for the rule of law, we have a responsibility to the Constitution, and we have a responsibility to stand up against an administration that has decided they don’t want to have a secure border.”
DeSantis’ office said that the legislative proposal:
- Prohibits all state and local agencies from doing business with or providing benefits to any private entities that knowingly or recklessly facilitate the resettlement of illegal aliens in the State of Florida.
- Bars state agencies from entering or renewing contracts with carriers that are knowingly transporting illegal aliens into the State of Florida.
- Requires private entities that knowingly or recklessly facilitate illegal immigration into Florida to provide compensation to the state for the costs of illegal immigration that fall on the public.
- Requires county jails and courts to collect immigration status information at time of arrest and conviction. Information must be reported to FDLE and published on its website.
- Strengthens E-verify enforcement by adding the Department of Economic Opportunity as an enforcing agency.
- The State of Florida will not provide any discretionary benefits to illegal aliens. All agencies will be required to confirm eligibility for benefits. ACHA, DCF, DOH, Medicaid plans, and hospitals must report and publish expenditures for illegal aliens.
DeSantis also announced that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) published a new emergency rule that “will prohibit the issuance or renewal of any license to provide services to unaccompanied alien minors who seek to be resettled in Florida unless there is a cooperative agreement between the state and federal government.”
The rule also “requires existing licensees to conduct regular welfare checks to ensure the safety of alien children already in the state.”