A Florida lawmaker has introduced a bill to ban Illegal immigrants Acceptance in some public colleges and universities.
Republican state Sen. Randy Fine proposed the legislation the day after GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session to help advance President-elect Trump's immigration agenda.
“Is it fair to allow an illegal immigrant to take a place that could be occupied 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 accepting 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.
Then the MP. South Brevard County District Attorney Randy Fine shut down a gambling bill during a special session, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, in Tallahassee, Florida. (AP)
There are an estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants Living in Floridaaccording to the Pew Research Center.
Immigrant students in the United States 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, to pay out-of-state tuition.
During the 2023-2024 school year, about 6,500 immigrant students who were in the United States illegally qualified for out-of-state tuition relief at the state's public colleges and universities, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute.
Three states prohibit students in the U.S. illegally from attending at least some college, while half the states allow those students to qualify for in-state tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Florida Governor 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)
The special session is scheduled to begin a week after Trump's inauguration on January 20, to fund efforts to address illegal immigration, including detention and resettlement. The governor said the state must work to support Trump's promises to address illegal immigration and ensure that “we don't have any remaining incentives for people to come to our state illegally.”
Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, thanked DeSantis for calling the special session, saying “I hope other governors follow suit!”
But the governor faced criticism from Republican leaders in the legislatureHe described his call for a special session as “premature” and “irresponsible.”
The bill would prohibit public colleges and universities with an acceptance rate of less than 85% from accepting students who are in the country illegally. (Getty Images)
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Fine is among Republican lawmakers who have pledged to support Trump and his agenda but have criticized the governor's push for a special session as hasty.
“This was not accompanied by a strong bill package for us to consider,” Fine told reporters. “Do you want to call a special session? Give me the bills you want me to vote on.”
Fine, who joined the state Senate in November, will resign from the Legislature, effective March 31, so he can run for the U.S. House seat that is expected to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who has been nominated. By Trump to be National Security Advisor.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
