A Florida state legislator has introduced a ban bill illegal migrants from admission to some public colleges and universities.
Republican state Sen. Randy Fine proposed the legislation a day after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session to help advance President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda.
“Is it fair to let an illegal immigrant take a seat that could be taken by a Floridian or an American? I would say no,” Fine said.
Fine’s bill would prohibit public colleges and universities with an acceptance rate below 85% from admitting students who are in the country illegally, which would include the University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida and Florida International University.
FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE INTRODUCES BILL TO REQUIRE DACA STUDENTS TO PAY OUT-OF-STATE TUITION
Then-sub. Randy Fine, R-South Brevard County, closes the gambling bill during a special session, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP)
It is estimated that there are around 1.2 million illegal migrants lives in Floridaaccording to the Pew Research Center.
Migrant students living in the US illegally can currently qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Fine also recently proposed a bill that would require high school graduates with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, status to pay out-of-state tuition.
During the 2023-2024 school year. about 6,500 immigrant students who were in the U.S. illegally qualified for out-of-state tuition waivers at the state’s public colleges and universities, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute.
Three states bar students in the U.S. from enrolling in at least some colleges illegally, while half of the states allow those students to qualify for in-state classes, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the 2023 Iowa Republican Party Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. (SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images)
DeSantis scheduled the special session to begin a week after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration to fund efforts to address illegal immigration, including detention and resettlement. The governor said the state must back up Trump’s promises to crack down on illegal immigration and make sure “we don’t have long-term incentives for people to come into our state illegally.”
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump thanked DeSantis for calling the special session, saying “he hopes other governors will follow suit!”
But the governor faced criticism Republican leaders of the legislaturewho assessed his invitation to the extraordinary session as “premature” and “irresponsible”.
The bill would prohibit public colleges and universities with an acceptance rate below 85% from admitting students who are in the country illegally. (Getty Images)
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Fine is among Republican lawmakers who have vowed to support Trump and his agenda, but have criticized the governor’s push for a special session as too hasty.
“This was not accompanied by a strong package of bills that we could consider,” Fine told reporters. “You want to call an emergency session? Give me the bills you want me to vote on.”
Fine, who joined the state Senate in November, is resigning his seat in the legislature, effective March 31, to run for the U.S. House seat expected to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who was Trump’s nominee to be his national security adviser.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
