MIAMI.- An influential Florida lawmaker said he plans to propose legislation modeled on the Texas law that gives state officials powers to detain and deport illegal immigrants, a measure that some critics say should be the exclusive purview of the federal government.
Senator Blaise Ingoglia, former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, told the media The Floridian his firm conviction about the need for this law under the criterion that President Joe Biden’s government would have neglected the borders.
“Florida must adopt and pass the same legislation as Texas, allowing its officers to do the job the federal government has neglected, arresting illegal immigrants and deporting them,” he said.
How the law would be applied
Ingoglia, who announced that he will present the proposal in the 2025 legislative session, noted that the 2023 Texas legislation makes it a misdemeanor to illegally cross the Rio Grande and a felony in case of repeat offense.
The rule indicates that once the irregular immigrant has completed his sentence, the police must transport him to a border port for deportation and the charges could be dropped if the migrant agrees to return to Mexico.
The Department of Justice and pro-immigrant organizations have challenged this law in court, arguing that the measure usurps federal authority in immigration matters and encourages racial profiling.
Despite an initial favorable ruling by the Supreme Court, a federal appeals court suspended its implementation until a pending lawsuit is resolved.
“Biden’s policies have failed”
Ingoglia, who has been an active voice against illegal immigration, cited recent statements by President Biden about possible border closures, as evidence, in his opinion, of the failure of current policies.
“Biden is beginning to admit, albeit belatedly, that he cannot maintain the status quo. His policies have failed the American peoplemaking each state, community and city a border state,” he emphasized.
According to Ingoglia, what is observed in immigration matters in the country is a sign that Donald Trump’s policies, when he served as president, were more effective and necessary.
The Republican senator is the author of a law enacted last year by Governor Ron DeSantis, which criminalizes the transportation of immigrants in Florida.
