TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida state lawmaker has filed a bill that would ban some public colleges and universities from admitting immigrants who are in the country without legal permission. The proposal comes a day after Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session to assist implement President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The proposal was filed Tuesday by Republican Sen. Randy Fine, who is currently running for a congressional seat to replace Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser.
“Is it fair to allow an illegal immigrant to take a place that a Floridian or an American could take? I would argue no,” Fine said.
Representatives of Florida’s public college and university system did not immediately respond when asked how many students might be affected by Fine’s bill, which would ban public colleges with an acceptance rate of less than 85% from admitting students into the state without authorization.
According to school admissions data, the University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Central Florida and Florida International University would be affected, among others.
According to the Pew Research Center, Fine’s proposal would represent a significant policy shift in the state, which is home to an estimated 1.2 million immigrants living in the U.S. without permission. Currently, Florida students who do not have such permission can qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Fine has also filed a bill that would repeal that provision.
According to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute, about 6,500 ineligible students qualified for an out-of-state tuition waiver at the state’s public colleges and universities during the 2023-2024 school year.
According to the National Immigration Law Center, three states prohibit unauthorized students from enrolling in at least some colleges, while half of the states have policies that allow unauthorized students to qualify for in-state tuition.
Once an unauthorized student in Florida, Gaby Pacheco now runs TheDream.US, a national organization that provides scholarships to immigrant students who do not have legal authorization. She called Fine’s proposal “harmful” and “self-defeating” at a time when Florida schools are experiencing dwindling enrollment.
“We as Floridians don’t realize the impact it will have when you remove people who have been here for 10, 15 years,” she said. “This is her home.”
DeSantis, who scheduled the special session to begin the week after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, said the state must take action to support the up-to-date president’s promised crackdown on immigration and ensure that “we don’t have continued stimulus for… have people entering our state illegally.” DeSantis has pushed his own anti-immigration agenda during his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
The governor faced pushback from Republican leaders in the Legislature, who called his call for a special session “premature” and “irresponsible.” Trump thanked DeSantis in a social media post on Tuesday, saying, “Hopefully other governors will follow!”
Fine is among Republican lawmakers who have supported Trump and his agenda but criticized the governor’s call for a special session as hasty.
“This was not accompanied by a robust legislative package for us to consider,” Fine told reporters. “You want to call a special meeting? Give me the bills you want me to vote for.
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
