Florida strengthens fight against illegal immigrants: House of Representatives passed a tough law

In Florida, the third state by the number of illegal immigrants after California and Texas, the fight against illegal immigrants is being tightened.

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The House of Representatives of Florida has demanded that local authorities cooperate with federal immigration services, adopting one of the country's strictest laws against "cities-of-asylum".

State legislators in their bill forbid local governments to ignore ICE requests. This means that local prisons must contain suspected undocumented immigrants until the federal authorities arrest them.

It also obliges local authorities to “make every effort to support the federal immigration law” and faces fines of up to $ 5000 per day for organizations that violate the law.

Florida Senate Committee approved similar legislation last week. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis urges senators to pass the bill before the end of the legislative session next week.

For the law to come into force, it is necessary that both the House of Representatives and the local Senate vote for it.

Although the definition of "cities of refuge" varies, most analysts argue that they are not in Florida.

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In recent weeks, the bill has become a top priority for the Republicans of Florida, as they sought to support DeSantis and President Trump, who threatened to release illegal immigrants in refuge cities.

“This bill is about public safety and ensuring that crime from illegal aliens here is eliminated,” said State Senator Joe Gruters and Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

According to the National State Legislative Conference, at least 25 states were considering a draft law on “refuge cities”.

One of them, California, passed state law that prohibits law enforcement from working with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants.

Two other states, Iowa and Tennessee, passed laws requiring local officials to comply with ICE requirements.

The governor of Arkansas this month signed a law to stop funding local governments who refuse to cooperate with ICE.

Some other states also have policies prohibiting refuge cities. These are Iowa, Tennessee, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas.

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Another half dozen states are considering similar bills this year.

But Florida, a state where 20 percent of the population is foreign-born, has become a particularly emotional battleground in the nationwide fight over these laws.

In recent weeks, a coalition of civil rights groups, social justice advocates, farmers, and state business leaders have come together to try to block bills.

More 120 business leaders in Florida, from the former CEO of the Carnival Cruise Line to company executives, signed an open letter to DeSantis and legislative leaders, warning that bills could harm the state's economy.

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“Immigrants make up more than 25 percent of our workforce,” the letter said. It is their innovative spirit that keeps us moving forward. Anti-immigrant legislation will cause lasting harm to the state of Florida.”

According to a study published in February by the Pew Research Center, in 2016, in Florida, 775 lived in 000 undocumented immigrants, that is, about 4 percent of the population. Only in California and Texas more unregistered residents live.

As of January 2018, more than 760 districts refuse to comply with ICE requirements, which is 135 more than the previous year, according to the Center for Legal Resources of Immigrants.

Refuge cities have long been called up by Trump dissatisfaction. A few days after taking office in the 2017 year, Trump signed a decree according to which federal funding for refuge cities ceased. True decree immediately disputed in a court. He is still considered unconstitutional, although the Trump administration continues to appeal this decision.

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