POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Friday morning at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Winter Haven.
The governor was joined by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
DeSantis signed new legislation aiming to “Stop Illegal Immigration” while discussing the state’s response to the crisis in Haiti.
DeSantis announced the passing of HB 1589, which enhances penalties for driving without a valid license.
The bill states that first offenses are second-degree misdemeanors. A second offense merits a first-degree misdemeanor, as does the third, but with at least 10 days spent in jail.
HB 1451 bans institutions from issuing any identification cards or documents that are knowingly issued to individuals who are “not lawfully present in the U.S.”
“We are throwing the book at you if you come into our state illegally and commit crime,” DeSantis said at the press conference Friday.
DeSantis announced in a news release Wednesday that he will be deploying over 250 state officers to secure the Florida border from potential illegal migrants entering from Haiti, who are facing mass violence and total collapse.
“Given the circumstances in Haiti, I have directed the Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers and over a dozen air and sea craft to the southern coast of Florida to protect our state,” DeSantis said in a statement.
In anticipation of a potential influx of illegal immigrants from Haiti, DeSantis said he has ordered additional state assets to the Keys and southern waters of Florida.
“The message is the last thing you want to do is get on a boat,” he said. “It’s a hazardous journey.”
On Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 65 Haitians intercepted off the Bahamas and in Washington, at a congressional hearing, leaders from the Southern Command said that contingency planning is underway for a potential “mass migration” event.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava sent a letter to President Joe Biden Tuesday afternoon requesting briefings and coordination between the county and federal agencies because of the “profound implications” for South Florida over the crisis in Haiti.
DeSantis also confirmed that on Feb. 29, a vessel transporting 24 men, women, and children from Haiti was intercepted at the Sebastian Inlet, marking a thwarted smuggling attempt.
The Division of Emergency Management is also introducing an aid portal for Floridians and other Americans stranded in the Caribbean nation amidst another wave of internal turmoil.
Sierra Dean, External Affairs Director for the Florida State Guard, issued a statement Friday afternoon regarding her department’s initiatives to safeguard the state against illegal immigration, which you can read here:
Watch the press conference here: