In an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis outlined his administration’s aggressive stance against sanctuary cities and states, and the collaborative effort with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws.
DeSantis’s comments come amidst ongoing national debates regarding immigration policy and the role of state and local governments.
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During the interview, host Sean Hannity questioned the legality of sanctuary policies, asking how such jurisdictions could avoid being seen as “aiding and abetting” criminal activity.
DeSantis responded by highlighting the contrast between the immigration policies of the Trump and Biden administrations and detailing Florida’s current efforts following “Operation Tidal Wave.”
“Operation Tidal Wave is the first of its kind joint operation where the feds are leading, but all of our state agencies and relevant local law enforcement agencies are assisting,” DeSantis stated, emphasizing the “huge force multiplier” effect of this collaboration.
DeSantis recalled the state’s stance against sanctuary policies and his early gubernatorial actions. “We banned sanctuary cities in my first year as Governor. Obviously, we’re not a sanctuary state, but that wasn’t enough. We need to be on the team.”
DeSantis’s remarks come on the heels of President Trump’s executive order signed Monday, which asserts federal supremacy in immigration matters and criticizes previous policies, accusing some state and local officials of “lawless insurrection” for obstructing federal immigration law enforcement.
The order mandates the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to identify “sanctuary” jurisdictions within 30 days and threatens to suspend or terminate federal funds to these areas. It also aims to prevent federal benefits from reaching individuals in sanctuary jurisdictions and ensure equal treatment for American citizens.
DeSantis echoed the sentiment of the executive order, criticizing the double standard where states and cities that refuse to enforce federal immigration laws face no consequences, while those seeking to uphold the law are met with resistance. “It’s almost like a heads they win, tails we lose,” he said, expressing support for federal efforts to defund sanctuary jurisdictions.
Hannity pressed DeSantis on how to address states that provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, which he argued legitimized their presence and hindered law enforcement. DeSantis responded by highlighting Florida’s legislative measures.
“We don’t recognize any of those driver’s licenses from California or any of the sanctuary states that they issued to illegal aliens. We don’t recognize any identification that’s given to illegal aliens,” he asserted. “We don’t even recognize if a private NGO issues an ID card.”
DeSantis also called for federal action, urging Congress to use its “power of the purse” to condition federal funding on compliance with immigration laws.
“If you’re going to keep subsidizing these states when they’re not following the law and indeed impeding the law, they’re just going to keep doing it,” he argued. “So use the purse strings, condition funding on compliance, and you’ll see a change in behavior immediately.”
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