Florida House Republicans Target ‘Sanctuary Cities’
Florida News ı By USA Herald
0 Comments
By RYAN RAY
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
©2017 The News Service of Florida. All rights reserved. Posting or forwarding this material without permission is prohibited. You can view the Terms of Use on our website.
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 21, 2017......... Amid heated debate over illegal immigration and the rights of undocumented immigrants, a House panel approved a measure Tuesday to crack down on so-called "sanctuary cities."
The bill (HB 697) by Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalaha, would require local governments and universities to comply with federal immigration laws and would impose stiff penalties on those that declare themselves sanctuaries from immigration enforcement.
Under the measure --- dubbed the "Rule of Law Adherence Act" --- state or local governmental entities or law enforcement agencies would be fined up to $5,000 for each day they are deemed to be out of compliance. The bill would require complying with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention requests, repealing current sanctuary policies and providing information about immigration violations to state authorities.
Democrats and immigrants' rights groups criticized the bill, which was approved 9-5 by the House Local, Federal & Veterans Subcommittee in a party-line vote. They said it targets immigrant communities and would create a parallel immigration enforcement regime that Rep. Daisy Baez, D-Coral Gables, described as smacking of "big government, paranoia, and persecution."
Metz, who chairs the House Public Integrity & Ethics Committee, said the bill simply brings state enforcement in line with federal law, enabling "seamless cooperation" between local, state, and federal government agencies to enforce laws already on the books.
Metz stressed the distinction between legal and illegal immigration.
"It's all-important in my view that the rule of law be followed," Metz said. "If we simply say, 'If you can get here, you can stay here,' and we don't care about the legal distinctions, we're going to have more and more people coming here illegally and fewer coming here through the legal immigration system."
But Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, argued that while undocumented immigrants' presence in the country may be illegal, it is a civil offense that does not warrant proactive criminal prosecution.
“Contrary to popular belief, even undocumented residents of the state and this country have constitutional rights,” Smith said.
Smith introduced six amendments that would have scaled back the bill, but the proposals were defeated in a succession of voice votes.
Discussion
No comments yet. Be the first to join the discussion!
FOLLOW US
Recent Posts
Unlock the Unexplained: Hearst Networks Launches MysteryX Exclusively on Prime…
Steven Spielberg’s Urgent Call for UFO Disclosure: Why the Legend…
Anna Kepner Killing: Federal Judge Orders Jail for Stepbrother Amid…
GM and Lockheed Martin Shock the Defense World with Major…
SpaceX Stuns the World with $60 Billion All-Stock Takeover of…
12 Killed in Horrific Skydiving Plane Crash in Missouri —…
First Tropical Storm of 2026 Season Could Strike Gulf Coast…
Don’t Miss It
Russia Shadow Fleet Captain Faces UK Sanctions Charges After English Channel Seizure
By – Jackie Allen8 Killed in ‘Unsurvivable’ B-52 Bomber Crash at Edwards Air Force Base — Cause Remains a Mystery
By – Rihem AkkoucheFBI Thwarts Chilling Drone & Sniper Plot to Assassinate Trump at White House UFC Fight — Suspects Planned Chaos on the South Lawn
By – Rihem AkkoucheJustice or Privilege? The Unsettling Truth Behind Diddy’s Shortened Prison Timeline
By – Tyler BrooksTrump: Magneto’s Secret Weapon to Fuel His Rage in Avengers: Doomsday
By – Tyler BrooksDana White Declares The Historic UFC Freedom 250 White House Event Will Never Happen Again
By – Tyler BrooksClaude vs U.S Government And The 90-Minute Ultimatum: Why the Government Just Pulled the Plug on the World’s Most Powerful AI
By – Tyler BrooksKanye West and Kim Kardashian Daughter: Is North West the Next Superstar? See the Moment She Took the Stage Following Her 13th Birthday Milestone
By – Tyler Brooks
Kelly Warner Law Firm Blames USA…
In what appears as a desperate attempt to defend multiple…
By – USA Herald
Aaron Kelly Law Firm Resorts To…
Attorney Aaron Kelly and his law partner Daniel Warner are…
By – Jeff Watterson
Arizona Bar Opens Investigation on Attorney…
USA Herald recently reported on a developing story involving Attorneys…
By – Paul O'Neal
Cruise Ship Horror: Teen Accused in…
The legal saga surrounding the tragic death of 18-year-old Anna…
By – Tyler Brooks
What We Know About the Edwards…
A tragic accident occurred Monday morning at Edwards Air Force…
By – Tyler Brooks
The New Legal Frontier: State Nuisance…
By Taylor Brooks | June 16, 2026 For two decades, the…
By – Tyler Brooks
Is Mental Health the Pivot Point…
As the high-profile Manhattan murder case against Luigi Mangione approaches…
By – Tyler Brooks
Beyond the Hype: White House Launches…
For decades, the topic of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) was…
By – Tyler Brooks
Body Found Floating in Queens Park…
A Body Found Floating in a pond at a quiet…
By – Jackie Allen
Body Found Floating in Queens Park…
A Body Found Floating in a pond at a quiet…
By – Jackie Allen
Trump Ordered Anthropic to Pull Its…
On June 13, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a letter…
By – Nicolas Carreno
ZCash Security Scare Raises Questions About…
ZCash has found itself at the center of a major…
By – Jackie Allen
Intelligence Gaps and National Security Debates…
The expiration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance…
By – Tyler Brooks
Oliver Tree Dies at 32 in…
Oliver Tree, the genre-blending singer, songwriter, and internet personality was…
By – Jackie Allen
The Pentagon Dropped Its Third UFO…
The files keep coming. And with each drop, the official…
By – Nicolas Carreno
The Pursuit of Biological Immortality and…
The objective was clear, articulated in the sterile language of…
By – Tyler Brooks
New York Chaos Erupts After Knicks…
New York Chaos unfolded across the city after the New…
By – Jackie Allen
New York Knicks End 53-Year Championship…
The New York Knicks have finally climbed back to the…
By – Jackie Allen
Paramount and Warner Brothers Merger Approved…
The proposed Paramount and Warner Brothers Merger has cleared a…
By – Jackie Allen
David Geffen Reunites With Ex-Husband Aboard…
David Geffen is making headlines again after being spotted spending…
By – Jackie Allen
Me Too Fallout Deepens as French…
The Me Too movement continues to reshape France’s entertainment industry…
By – Jackie Allen
Me Too Fallout Deepens as French…
The Me Too movement continues to reshape France’s entertainment industry…
By – Jackie Allen
Iran Agreed to US Demands: Trump…
In a major diplomatic development, Iran Agreed to US Demands,…
By – Jackie AllenThe Me Too movement continues to reshape the entertainment industry…
By – Jackie Allen
Fatal Accident in Tulsa: Oklahoma Father…
A Fatal Accident in Tulsa that claimed the life of…
By – Jackie Allen
“You’re Killing Me” Brings Brooke Shields…
“You’re Killing Me” is one of Acorn TV’s newest mystery…
By – Jackie Allen
Karmelo Anthony Sentenced to 35 Years…
The case of Karmelo Anthony has drawn widespread attention across…
By – Jackie Allen
B-52 Crashed at Edwards Air Force…
Eight people are believed dead after a U.S. Air Force…
By – Nicolas Carreno
The End of an Era: Seth…
The long-standing creative partnership between Seth Rogen and James Franco…
By – Tyler Brooks
30-year-old franchise: Pixar Wages War Against…
The hallowed halls of Pixar Animation Studios have become the…
By – Tyler Brooks
Steven Spielberg Disclosure Day Crushes Box…
The theater industry has just witnessed a seismic shift. Steven…
By – Tyler Brooks
Rainn Wilson: “The Office” Would Be…
The entertainment industry is facing an unprecedented institutional shift as…
By – Tyler Brooks
BackRooms: Hollywood Disruptors and the Rise…
In the second week of May 2025, senior executives at…
By – Tyler Brooks
Nichelle Nichols’ Final Mission Ends in…
By Samuel López | USA Herald The woman who helped…
By – Samuel Lopez
Cannabis Giants Hit with Sweeping Class…
A major class action filed May 4, 2026, accuses five…
By – Samuel Lopez
New Pill Doubles Survival for Pancreatic…
Pancreatic cancer pill doubles life to 13 months By Tyler…
By – Tyler Brooks
FDA warns public as cookie firm…
FDA warns public as cookie firm rejects urgent recall request…
By – Tyler Brooks
Trump orders CDC to slash childhood…
Trump orders CDC to slash childhood vaccines from 17 to…
By – Tyler Brooks
USDA warns Americans over Salmonella in…
USDA warns Americans over Salmonella in meat products By Tylor…
By – Tyler Brooks
Pulisic Is Not Training. What Happens…
Mauricio Pochettino pulled Christian Pulisic at halftime of the USMNT’s…
By – Nicolas Carreno
Mexico vs South Africa World Cup…
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, but the…
By – Rihem Akkouche
FIFA World Cup 2026: Gianni Infantino…
The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has transformed…
By – Tyler Brooks
The Halfway House Showdown: Convicted Serial…
Justice. Accountability. Public Safety. For the survivors who faced Darren…
By – Tyler Brooks
New York Knicks NBA Finals Game…
The New York Knicks took center stage during Game 3…
By – Jackie Allen
Chinese Company Blocked from Claiming Olympic…
By Samuel López | USA Herald The Olympic rings are…
By – Samuel LopezNo posts found.
No posts found.
