Florida toughens immigration laws with higher penalties, fewer rights, and more police oversight.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that ranks among the strictest in the country against immigrants without legal status. The measure requires all state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE, toughens sentencing, eliminates educational benefits, and grants new powers to the state apparatus in immigration matters. Legal experts, activists, and business leaders have warned about the social, legal, and economic consequences of this legislation.

Mandatory collaboration between police and immigration agents

Since its entry into force on February 14, SB-2 mandates mandatory cooperation between all state law enforcement agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The law extends the 287(g) program, which previously applied to 67 counties, and establishes that no department may refuse to participate in immigration operations.

Officials who oppose the measure could be fined up to $5.000 or dismissed. Furthermore, it allows for the arrest of individuals without a warrant if there is a suspicion of immigration violations, which has raised alarm among civil rights advocates.

New crimes and harsher penalties for undocumented immigrants

SB-2 creates a new state crime: re-entering Florida after entering the country illegally. It also increases penalties for misdemeanors if the defendant is undocumented. For example, theft, which previously carried a prison sentence of up to one year, can now be punished with five years in prison and higher fines if committed by an immigrant without legal status.

The ACLU has called these provisions unconstitutional for violating the principle of equal protection. "The same conduct cannot be penalized differently depending on the immigration status of the accused," said Bacardi Jackson, the organization's executive director in Florida.

Maximum punishments in serious cases

A particularly controversial part of the law allows for the imposition of the maximum penalty—including the death penalty—in cases of first-degree murder or rape of minors committed by undocumented immigrants. This is not an automatic conviction, but the law reduces the requirements for imposing it by eliminating the need for a unanimous jury.

Legal experts like Kara Gross, also of the ACLU, point out that the Supreme Court has already declared mandatory death sentences unconstitutional. “This opens the door to further constitutional challenges,” she warned.

End of in-state tuition for undocumented students

The new legislation prevents undocumented students, including DACA recipients, from accessing reduced tuition at public universities. All of them will have to pay as international students, even if they grew up and were educated in Florida. This means, in many cases, an increase in the cost of their studies of up to three times.

The measure has been described as “an unfair barrier” by student organizations, and several universities in the state have expressed their concern.cupaction due to the loss of talent and academic desertion.

Businessmen fear losing labor

Agricultural entrepreneurs, builders and restaurant owners have expressed concerncupaction by the immediate effect of the law. These sectors depend largely on the immigrant workforce, and the new legislation has already begun to generate absenteeism, fear, and staff reductions.

“Many workers are leaving their jobs for fear of being arrested on their way to work,” said a farmer in Hendry County. “This isn't just about rights; this will affect the state's economy.”

An immigration czar and $200 million at stake

SB-2 also establishes the creation of a state immigration coordinator. The governor appointed Larry Keefe, a former federal prosecutor and close ally, to oversee a budget of more than $200 million for deportations, surveillance, detentions, and grants to local governments that cooperate with the state plan.

Keefe had already participated in the 2022 transfer of Venezuelan immigrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, which sparked national controversy.

Florida follows Texas' lead with its own tough version

Although immigration laws fall under federal jurisdiction, Florida follows the lead of Texas, which recently passed SB-4, allowing local police to detain individuals suspected of being in the country illegally. Both laws are being challenged in court and could end up before the Supreme Court.

The controversy revolves around whether states can assume powers that the Constitution reserves for the federal government. Civil organizations argue that these state laws generate discrimination, institutional racism, and violations of basic rights.

Real voices from the field

Sabrina Carrillo, a Honduran university student and DACA recipient, told local media: "Now I have to find a second job to pay my tuition. They're punishing me for something beyond my control."

A construction contractor in Tampa explained to the Miami Herald"I have projects on hold because I can't find enough staff. People are afraid to leave their homes."

On social media, a message went viral: “They don't want immigrants, but they don't say who will pick the fruit, clean the hotels, or build the houses.”