TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ Florida is a step closer to banning sanctuary policies in cities and counties, after the state House passed a bill to crackdown on such policies by a 69-47 vote.
The bill (HB 527) still needs to pass the Senate, which is set to debate its version of the bill (SB 168) Thursday, before it heads to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk. DeSantis named it as a top priority during the campaign last year.
The vote was largely along party lines with two Republicans _ Reps. Vance Aloupis and Rene Plasencia _ voting with Democrats against the bill.
Debate on the bill reflected the partisan divide. Democrats decried what they called "xenophobic" rhetoric they said demonizes illegal immigrants, tying them inappropriately to crime.
"This bill is not who we are as Floridians. It is stirring up xenophobic hostility towards immigrants," said Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat. "They are good people ... they are not criminals. They are not what some of the rhetoric around in this state and in this country has made them out to be."
Republicans said they only wanted local law enforcement to communicate and cooperate with federal immigration officials. Immigrants should follow laws and come to the country legally, or face deportation, they said.
"We're not saying illegal immigrants are bad people," said GOP Rep. Mike Beltran. "But they need to follow the law."
The bill requires local governments, police departments, colleges, universities and other local entities to honor detainer requests from federal immigration officials. Democrats said that would put city and university leaders at risk if they don't give information on undocumented immigrants to federal authorities.
But the House version differs from the Senate, and those differences must be worked out before it can head to DeSantis' desk for his signature. The House version imposes fines of $5,000 per day on local officials who approve sanctuary policies, something the Senate bill doesn't have.
