TALLAHASSEE, FL — Today, the Florida Legislature passed SB 2B, an anti-immigrant bill allocating half a billion taxpayer dollars to support Trump’s mass deportation agenda. This sweeping legislation was crafted largely in secret meetings with input from President Trump and rushed through in less than 48 hours while denying most Floridians any time for review or input.
The bill hands over hundreds of millions of dollars of state funding and resources to implement the federal government’s cruel and inhumane anti-immigrant policies; commands all state and local agencies and entities, as well as every private entity, person, corporation, or business that contracts with a public agency, to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws “to the fullest extent possible”; strips in-state tuition from thousands of Dreamers brought to the United States as children; dismantles protections for immigrant victims of crime and witnesses—making communities less safe by discouraging cooperation with law enforcement— and establishes a Chief Immigration Officer within the Department of Agriculture to expand and coordinate immigration enforcement efforts with the federal government.
Despite the performative political posturing between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature, their actions align in advancing policies that undermine Florida’s economy, devastate families, and erode fundamental freedoms—all in service to Trump’s costly deportation agenda.
Bacardi Jackson, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida, stated the following:
“Florida’s communities are under attack. This legislation exposes the cruel priorities of our state’s leaders, who have chosen to divert half a billion taxpayer dollars away from the dire needs of our state to instead be used to tear apart families and destabilize communities.
"This extreme bill extends far beyond immigration enforcement. It broadens the scope of the death penalty, escalates criminal legal penalties, commandeers local law enforcement into ICE Task Forces—brazenly infringing on municipal authority—and imposes burdensome changes to ID laws and REAL IDs. These sweeping measures create new barriers for immigrants and marginalized communities, compounding the harm of an already draconian agenda.
“Florida is home to nearly five million immigrants who are our neighbors, co-workers, and the backbone of critical industries. Instead of developing balanced common-sense pathways to legally integrate these essential workers and their families, our legislature has aligned itself with an inhumane agenda that seeks to detain, deport, and destroy. Over a third of the state's agricultural workers and nearly a quarter of its construction workers are immigrants. Florida is home to over 700,000 mixed-status families and approximately 250,000 U.S. citizens live with an undocumented parent. Yet, Florida’s leaders continue to prioritize Trump’s agenda over the well-being of our state.
“We know what a Trump administration means for immigrant communities in Florida. Trump’s agenda has always been clear: to aggressively target millions of immigrants who are vital to our neighborhoods, schools, and small businesses. His administration has consistently weaponized taxpayer resources to tear families apart and create chaos in our communities.
“For years, DeSantis and the majority in the legislature have pushed discriminatory policies that endanger immigrant families and anyone perceived to be an immigrant. They have repeatedly made Floridians’ fundamental rights politically expendable. No amount of fear mongering or political maneuvering will deter us from fighting back.”
Read the ACLU of Florida’s written testimony opposing these anti-immigrant measures here.
