A Proposed Law in Florida Would Make It Illegal for People in the Us Who Are Not Citizens to Go to Some Colleges

A lawmaker in Florida has proposed a bill that would make it illegal for illegal immigrants to attend some public colleges and universities.

The bill was put forward by Republican state Sen. Randy Fine the day after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special session of the legislature to help push President-elect Trump’s immigration plan.

“Is it fair to let an illegal immigrant take a seat that an American or Floridian could have?” “I would say no,” Fine replied.

Public schools and universities with an acceptance rate of less than 85% would not be able to take in students who are in the country illegally under Fine’s bill. This includes the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and Florida International University.

The Pew Research Center says that about 1.2 million people who are not legally in the United States live in Florida.

At the moment, students who are in the U.S. illegally can get in-state tuition at public schools and universities. Fine also recently put forward a bill that would make high school graduates with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status pay out-of-state fees.

According to the non-profit Florida Policy Institute, during the 2023-2024 school year, about 6,500 students from other countries who were in the U.S. illegally did not have to pay out-of-state fees at the state’s public colleges and universities.

According to the National Immigration Law Center, three states don’t let students who are in the U.S. illegally enroll in at least some schools, but half of those states let these students get in-state tuition.

DeSantis planned the special session to start the week after Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The goal was to raise money for detention and transfer as part of efforts to stop illegal immigration. The governor said that the state needs to back up Trump’s claims to stop illegal immigration and make sure that “there are no lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally.”

In a post on Tuesday on Truth Social, Trump thanked DeSantis for calling a special session and said, “Hopefully other Governors will follow!”

GOP leaders in the senate, on the other hand, have said that the governor’s call for a special session was “premature” and “irresponsible.”

Fine is one of the Republican lawmakers who have promised to back Trump and his plans, but they have said that the governor’s push for a special session was too quick.

Fine told reporters, “This did not come with a strong bill package for us to consider.” “Do you want to set up a special meeting?” Please show me the bills you want me to support.

Fine became a member of the state Senate in November. He is resigning from the legislature on March 31 so that he can run for the U.S. House spot that U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., is likely to leave when he becomes Trump’s national security advisor.