DeSantis Signs Sanctuary Cities Ban Into Law, Despite Florida Having No Sanctuary Cities

By David Boddiger  |  June 16, 2019 | 6:08pm
State News

In a political move that serves no other purpose than to
appeal to Florida’s xenophobic Republican base, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill
into law Friday that bans sanctuary cities from the state.

SB 168 prohibits state and local governments from enacting
“sanctuary policies” and requires them to abide by federal immigration detainer
requests. DeSantis signed the bill into law in rural Okaloosa County, part of
the Florida Panhandle, where the county’s nearly 200,000 residents are
overwhelmingly white.

According to the Miami
Herald, the bill’s signing ceremony “had the feel more
of a crowded campaign rally than a typical bill signing,” with more than
300 spectators in attendance. Banning sanctuary cities, despite Florida not
having any, was one of DeSantis’ top campaign promises, echoing the anti-immigrant
vitriol of Donald Trump.

“Earlier this year, I made a promise that we would ban
sanctuary cities in Florida and today we are delivering on that promise,” DeSantis
said Friday. “I am proud to sign the bill presented to me by the Florida
Legislature to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no city or county
jurisdiction can get in the way of Florida’s cooperation with our federal
partners to enforce immigration law. This is about public safety, not about
politics. We must do everything within our power, and use all the tools
available to us, to ensure that our communities are safe.”

The bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 22-18, and the
House by 68-45.

In praising the signing, Republican state Sen. Joe Gruters,
who sponsored SB 168, also played up the false and racist narrative that
undocumented immigrants are a threat to community safety.

“This law ensures we do not treat non-citizens better than
Americans and it will help ensure Floridians are not being victimized by
illegal aliens. This legislation will ensure that our law enforcement agencies
are able to cooperate with federal authorities and will get illegal criminals
aliens off our streets,” Gruters said.

The Herald noted
that Gruters used the bill’s signing to solicit campaign contributions online immediately
afterward.

In response, the ACLU of Florida
called SB 168 a “reckless expansion of state government and an affront to the
democratic values we share.”

“The law is
anti-immigrant, unconstitutional, inhumane, and hurts our families and
communities,” the group tweeted.

Scott McCoy, of the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund,
said laws like SB 168 hurt immigrant communities because people will be less
likely to report crimes to the police or cooperate in investigations, according
to a statement reported by the Herald.
He added that state Republicans were using “racial grievance to drive a wedge
between Floridians.”

Trump weighed in
on Twitter, writing that, “More and more states want to do this but their
governors and leaders don’t have the courage to do so.” He falsely claimed that
“people from California, & all over the land, are demanding that Sanctuary
Cities be GONE.” He added: “No illegals, Drugs or Trafficking!”

Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a daughter of immigrants, wrote
that she “could not help but notice how political the bill signing felt.”
Someone in the audience, she added, even yelled about a six-week abortion ban.

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, who supported the bill, responded
by tweeting, “It’s not political, it’s winning.” He added a snowflake emoji.

 
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