Florida's controversial immigration reform bills are now one step away from Gov. Ron DeSantis's desk after clearing key House and Senate committees Wednesday. The bills are expected to undergo final votes Thursday, marking a pivotal moment in the state's ongoing debate over immigration policy.
One of the most contentious aspects of the legislation remains the repeal of in-state tuition for undocumented students, a move that has sparked heated opposition. In the final hours before the bills are expected to head to DeSantis, critics are urging the GOP supermajority to include a "glide path" to protect students who are already enrolled. However, those changes appear unlikely.
As the current school year draws to a close this summer, in-state tuition for Florida’s undocumented college students will likely disappear, despite passionate pleas from DACA recipients who have called on lawmakers to preserve the bipartisan program.
“It just leaves me heartbroken and disappointed,” said Diego Dulanto Falcon, a graduate student at the University of South Florida who relied on the tuition waivers to earn his bachelor’s degree. Now mentoring fellow DACA recipients, he had deep concerns about what lies ahead.
“I don’t really know… I don’t really know what to say to them,” said Dulanto Falcon. “There is no other option for a lot of these students.”
According to state officials, approximately 6,500 students benefit from the tuition waivers, with most likely being undocumented. The state estimates it is losing out on more than $40 million in potential revenue, while supporters of the bill argue that waivers incentivize illegal immigration.
“It breaks my heart when I hear from these people,” said Sen. Randy Fine (R-Melbourne). “I am sorry that their parents did it to them. These children did not magically appear in the United States. Their parents chose to break the law.”
The debate over the waivers is somewhat complicated by the fact that Florida lawmakers originally approved the program in 2014 with bipartisan support. Among those backing the measure was the current Lieutenant Governor, Jeanette Nuñez (R-Florida), who at the time emphasized that children should come first, regardless of their parents’ legal status.
"I firmly believe this bill balances fairness with pragmatism, compassion with common sense— to grandstand and inject political rhetoric in this debate is, in my opinion, shameful,” Nuñez said during her 2014 term in the Florida House.
However, Nuñez has since reversed her position on the waiver program, stating online that it has “served its purpose” and that the times have changed.
For Florida Democrats, the current proposal is too far.
“Let's punish the students to make us look tough. It's more like bullying, which is shameful, plain and simple,” said Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando).
Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo (D-Hollywood), have called on Republicans to add a grandfather clause to the bill, protecting those who are already enrolled in the program.
“The poison pill is in-state tuition. Otherwise, I vote for this bill,” Pizzo said.
Despite these last-minute calls for amendments, lawmakers in both the House and Senate advanced the bills without making any changes, stating they had no intention of doing so. The bills are set for floor votes on Thursday, and if they pass, Governor DeSantis is expected to sign them into law.
In addition to repealing in-state tuition for undocumented students, the legislation includes around 16 provisions aimed at increasing immigration enforcement. Among them are making illegal immigration a state crime, increasing funding for enforcement agencies, and heightening penalties for undocumented individuals involved in criminal activities. It also proposes the creation of a state immigration board to oversee everything, replacing ideas for an immigration tzar— a role filled by either Florida’s Ag Commissioner or a DeSantis appointee.
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