All law enforcement agencies in Florida will have to cooperate with federal immigration authorities under a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday during a ceremony that often felt like a campaign rally for him and President Donald Trump.
The bill prohibits local governments from enacting "sanctuary" polices that protect undocumented immigrants from deportation. It will require law enforcement to honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers for undocumented immigrants who are arrested or convicted of a crime. It exempts crime victims and witnesses.
"Sanctuary cities basically create law-free zones where people can come to our state illegally and our country illegally, commit criminal offenses and then just walk right out the door and continue to do it," DeSantis said. "In Florida, that will not happen."
The bill was signed in the Okaloosa County Commission's meeting room with an overflow crowd dotted with red "Make America Great Again" hats. Okaloosa, in the western Panhandle, is one of the state's most conservative counties. The crowd cheered wildly in support of the bill and equally as loud at the mention of Trump.
Trump, who has made illegal immigration a top priority, helped DeSantis win the GOP primary last year and campaigned for DeSantis in the general election. Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, another close Trump ally and who campaigned across the state for DeSantis, also spoke at the ceremony.
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