The Left has lost in magnificent fashion. And now they have to just sit there and take it.
And Democrats are in shell shock after this bill landed on their desks.
A Florida state lawmaker has introduced a controversial bill that would bar certain public colleges and universities from admitting immigrants without legal status.
The move comes just a day after Governor Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session aimed at aligning state policies with President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.
Republican state Senator Randy Fine, who is campaigning for a congressional seat to succeed Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security advisor, filed the proposal on Tuesday.
“Is it fair to allow an illegal immigrant to take a spot that could be taken by a Floridian or an American? I would argue no,” Fine stated.
The legislation targets public colleges and universities with acceptance rates below 85%, effectively barring them from admitting students without legal authorization.
This would impact institutions such as the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and Florida International University, based on current admissions data.
Florida’s public college and university systems have yet to respond to questions regarding how many students could be affected by the bill. However, the proposal signals a potential seismic shift in a state that hosts approximately 1.2 million undocumented immigrants, according to Pew Research Center estimates.
Currently, Florida allows undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
Fine’s legislation seeks to overturn that policy, filing a separate bill to repeal the provision. During the 2023-2024 academic year, about 6,500 undocumented students received waivers for out-of-state tuition, data from the Florida Policy Institute shows.
This move could put Florida alongside three other states that already bar undocumented students from enrolling in some public colleges. Meanwhile, roughly half of U.S. states permit such students to access in-state tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Gaby Pacheco, a former undocumented college student in Florida and leader of TheDream.US — a nonprofit providing scholarships to immigrant students — called the proposal “harmful” and warned of its potential consequences during a time of declining enrollment at Florida schools.
“We’re failing to see as Floridians the impact that is going to have when you’re removing people who have been here for 10, 15 years,” Pacheco said. “This is their home.”
Governor DeSantis has doubled down on his call for the state to back Trump’s hardline immigration policies, arguing that Florida must ensure it doesn’t offer any “lingering incentives” for illegal immigration.
DeSantis, who pushed anti-immigration rhetoric during his own presidential bid, scheduled the special legislative session for the week following Trump’s January 20 inauguration.
DeSantis’s push has not been universally embraced by state Republican leaders, with some criticizing the timing as “premature” and “irresponsible.” Trump, however, lauded the governor on social media, writing, “hopefully other Governors will follow!”
Senator Fine, while supportive of Trump’s agenda, has also questioned the rushed nature of DeSantis’s call for a special session.
“This was not accompanied with a robust bill package for us to consider,” Fine told reporters. “You want to call a special session? Give me the bills you want me to vote for.”
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
