Florida Democrats and immigrant advocacy groups condemned immigration enforcement actions under President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Capitol Tuesday.
They called for a state bill, SB 316 / HB 419, that would largely bar U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the state officers working with them from wearing masks while on duty.
“If you have the power to detain a Floridian, they have the right to know who you are,” said Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, a bill sponsor. “This is about safety for our communities through transparency. We are a democracy. We are not a dictatorship.”
There is a carve-out for “medical” masks and if a “face covering is necessary to protect the integrity of a covert, nonpublic operation or to guard against hazardous environmental conditions.”
This comes after the recent killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. It’s ignited a lot of debate about how ICE is run.
The lawmaker and advocate group also called for a rollback of various strict immigration laws the state has passed in recent years, SB 328/HB 315.
One of its many provisions eliminates the requirement large Florida employers use E-Verify, which is a federal online platform that allows employers to check workers’ eligibility.
It would also undo a recent law passed by Republicans ending in-state tuition for college and university students — also referred to as “Dreamers” — who entered the country illegally as children.
The legislation would also prevent immigration enforcement activities in schools and religious institutions.
Both bills are unlikely to pass. Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state conservative leaders have supported the Trump administration’s efforts.
"There's no other state that has been able to do anything approaching what the state of Florida has been able to do," DeSantis said earlier in the month about the state’s immigration efforts.
The proposals would also face likely legal challenges, as states have limited ability to regulate federal immigration activity.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
