DeSantis strengthens penalties for illegal immigrants caught living in Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed two major bills into law on Friday that strengthen penalties for illegal immigrants caught living in Florida if they are convicted of other crimes .

The new laws extend the possible prison sentences and punishments for illegal immigrants who are caught driving without a license and immigrants convicted of felonies after having been previously deported from the country for illegal entry.

“We do not tolerate illegal immigration, let alone lawlessness committed by illegal aliens who shouldn’t be here in the first place,” DeSantis said in a statement . “The bills I signed [Friday] further enhance Florida’s capabilities to uphold the law.”

People convicted of driving without a license at least twice can now face up to a year in jail instead of a maximum sentence of 60 days. The law also applies to U.S. citizens and immigrants in the country legally, but illegal immigrants are not allowed to obtain a driver’s license in Florida.

The other new law increases the maximum sentence for illegal immigrants convicted of felonies that had previously been deported. For example, an immigrant in Florida illegally could face up to 15 years in prison for a regular burglary or car theft instead of five years for U.S. citizens.

More serious crimes like aggravated battery could carry a 30-year prison sentence instead of 15 years, and armed robbery could now carry life sentences for illegal immigrants instead of a maximum of 30 years.

"If you have been deported and you come to this state and enter our state and you are here illegally and you commit crimes, we are throwing the book at you, and you are going to regret coming to the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a press conference.

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The move comes as Florida prepares for a possible influx of illegal immigrants fueled by an increasingly dire situation in Haiti. The immigrants would need to travel more than 700 miles by sea to reach Florida, the closest U.S. state to Haiti.

DeSantis previously ordered state resources on Wednesday to block the possible surge, including the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Florida State Guard, and state law enforcement agencies to deploy over 250 additional officers and soldiers to the southern coast of Florida.