Florida bill would ban students in the US without legal permission from some public universities
Florida bill would ban students in the US without legal permission from some public universities
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 the day after Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session to help implement President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The proposal was filed Tuesday by Republican state Sen. Randy Fine, who is currently running for a seat in Congress to replace Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security advisor.
“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 said.
Representatives for Florida’s public college and university systems did not immediately respond to questions on how many students could be affected by Fine’s bill, which would ban public schools of higher education with an acceptance rate of less than 85% from admitting students in the country without legal authorization.
The University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida and Florida International University are among institutions that would be affected, according to the schools’ admissions data.
Fine’s proposal would mark a significant policy shift in the state, which is home to an estimated 1.2 million immigrants living in the U.S. without permission, according to the Pew Research Center. Currently, Florida students who are without such permission can qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Fine has also filed a bill that would repeal that provision.
During the 2023-2024 school year, about 6,500 unauthorized students qualified for a waiver from paying out-of-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute.
Three states bar students without legal authorization from enrolling in at least some colleges, while half of states have policies allowing unauthorized students to qualify for in-state tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
Gaby Pacheco was once an unauthorized college student in Florida and now leads TheDream.US, a national organization that provides scholarships to immigrant students who don’t have legal authorization. She called Fine’s proposal “harmful” and “self-defeating” at a time when Florida schools are seeing enrollment declines.
“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,” she said. “This is their home.”
DeSantis, who scheduled the special session to begin the week after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, has said the state must take action to support the incoming president’s promised immigration crackdown and ensure that “we don’t have any lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally.” DeSantis pushed his own anti-immigration agenda during his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
The governor has faced pushback from the legislature’s Republican leaders, who labeled 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 the Republican lawmakers who have pledged support for Trump and his agenda but have criticized the governor’s push for a special session as rushed.
“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.”
___ 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.
By KATE PAYNE
Associated Press/Report for America
