Florida aggressively pursues immigration enforcement in schools
The proposed measures in Florida would guarantee that campus doors are accessible to immigration authorities, aligning with a Trump administration that aims to keep this option available.
TroibNews 
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature are at odds over several significant aspects of recently passed immigration legislation. However, they do share a common perspective on involving teachers and campus police officers in the state's “all-hands-on-deck” approach to assist federal immigration enforcement.
The specific roles of school employees in this enforcement remain ambiguous, as does the future of the bill itself. The proposed measures would open campus doors to immigration authorities in line with a Trump administration that seeks such options.
“There’s no bar in the state of Florida for conducting immigration enforcement operations,” DeSantis stated Wednesday during an event in Fort Myers.
The legislation mandates that various government employees across Florida cooperate with Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts to the "fullest extent possible," which includes local teachers, school social workers, and campus safety officers.
Despite planning to veto the legislation due to disagreements with state lawmakers on its scope, DeSantis has expressed support for the idea that immigration enforcement could potentially take place in schools.
As concerns rise over the possibility of on-campus arrests, Democrats have argued that schools should be protected.
“Everyone wants dangerous criminals off the streets, but these are kids that we want to protect,” said state Rep. Robin Bartleman, a Weston Democrat. “It just seems like schools should be a safe place.”
During this week’s special session, Democrats questioned Republicans about what the "fullest extent" of immigration enforcement might entail for school employees.
According to state Rep. Lawrence McClure, a Dover Republican who sponsored the House bill, it would require them to “answer questions and investigative processes honestly.”
“To the fullest extent, in my opinion, is you give it your all,” McClure commented on the House floor Tuesday. “You cooperate to the best of your ability.”
However, responsibilities might extend further depending on guidance from the Trump administration, as McClure clarified after a Democrat inquired whether a teacher or social worker would be obligated to report a kindergarten student to ICE. Under federal law, school districts cannot inquire about a parent or child's citizenship or immigration status for enrollment, a factor Democrats argue adds to the uncertainty for campuses.
“So long as it’s not privileged or other legal reasons why, the answer to all of these questions is yes,” McClure explained. “To the extent that the federal government asks our folks here in Florida to cooperate, then yes.”
Despite their minority status in both chambers, Democrats sought to amend the bill to protect schools and churches, aiming to establish safeguards similar to those implemented by the Biden administration but reversed by Trump earlier this month. Their amendments were rejected by the GOP-dominated Legislature.
“The Trump administration lifted the policy restricting immigration enforcement in sensitive areas like public schools and religious institutions for a reason,” said Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who proposed one amendment. “They plan on going in there.”
So far, there have been no reports of immigration raids or arrests in Florida schools or on campuses nationwide. In preparation for the potential of federal authorities arriving on campus, Florida schools are developing guidance on how to handle such situations while advising officials not to interfere.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, indicated this week that immigration raids in schools would be assessed on a “case-by-case basis” if a national security or public safety threat arose, noting that “it’s never a zero game.” While Homan has acknowledged that children “shouldn’t have to fear ICE agents walking into an elementary school to arrest them,” he also suggested that undocumented parents in the school pickup line were “not off the table either.”
“It shouldn’t be a chilling effect unless their child is a terrorist or a national security threat,” Homan remarked during a CNN interview on Monday.
“They’re in the country illegally — they’ve got a problem,” he added when questioned about parents. “It’s not OK to enter this country illegally; it’s a crime.”
DeSantis has echoed these sentiments, advocating for Florida's strong support of Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives. Even though he is entangled in a contentious dispute with the Legislature over policy differences in their bill, he indicated his backing for potential arrests in Florida schools.
“We will affirmatively assist these operations across the state,” DeSantis affirmed Wednesday. “It will probably be more dependent on them to see how they want to go in or what they want to do.”
“What Biden did, they said you can’t do sensitive [areas], and they drew big circles around any church, any school. The problem is, once you’ve done that, there’s almost no place that you can do it,” DeSantis continued. “You could conduct a raid in the woods somewhere.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The specific roles of school employees in this enforcement remain ambiguous, as does the future of the bill itself. The proposed measures would open campus doors to immigration authorities in line with a Trump administration that seeks such options.
“There’s no bar in the state of Florida for conducting immigration enforcement operations,” DeSantis stated Wednesday during an event in Fort Myers.
The legislation mandates that various government employees across Florida cooperate with Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts to the "fullest extent possible," which includes local teachers, school social workers, and campus safety officers.
Despite planning to veto the legislation due to disagreements with state lawmakers on its scope, DeSantis has expressed support for the idea that immigration enforcement could potentially take place in schools.
As concerns rise over the possibility of on-campus arrests, Democrats have argued that schools should be protected.
“Everyone wants dangerous criminals off the streets, but these are kids that we want to protect,” said state Rep. Robin Bartleman, a Weston Democrat. “It just seems like schools should be a safe place.”
During this week’s special session, Democrats questioned Republicans about what the "fullest extent" of immigration enforcement might entail for school employees.
According to state Rep. Lawrence McClure, a Dover Republican who sponsored the House bill, it would require them to “answer questions and investigative processes honestly.”
“To the fullest extent, in my opinion, is you give it your all,” McClure commented on the House floor Tuesday. “You cooperate to the best of your ability.”
However, responsibilities might extend further depending on guidance from the Trump administration, as McClure clarified after a Democrat inquired whether a teacher or social worker would be obligated to report a kindergarten student to ICE. Under federal law, school districts cannot inquire about a parent or child's citizenship or immigration status for enrollment, a factor Democrats argue adds to the uncertainty for campuses.
“So long as it’s not privileged or other legal reasons why, the answer to all of these questions is yes,” McClure explained. “To the extent that the federal government asks our folks here in Florida to cooperate, then yes.”
Despite their minority status in both chambers, Democrats sought to amend the bill to protect schools and churches, aiming to establish safeguards similar to those implemented by the Biden administration but reversed by Trump earlier this month. Their amendments were rejected by the GOP-dominated Legislature.
“The Trump administration lifted the policy restricting immigration enforcement in sensitive areas like public schools and religious institutions for a reason,” said Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who proposed one amendment. “They plan on going in there.”
So far, there have been no reports of immigration raids or arrests in Florida schools or on campuses nationwide. In preparation for the potential of federal authorities arriving on campus, Florida schools are developing guidance on how to handle such situations while advising officials not to interfere.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, indicated this week that immigration raids in schools would be assessed on a “case-by-case basis” if a national security or public safety threat arose, noting that “it’s never a zero game.” While Homan has acknowledged that children “shouldn’t have to fear ICE agents walking into an elementary school to arrest them,” he also suggested that undocumented parents in the school pickup line were “not off the table either.”
“It shouldn’t be a chilling effect unless their child is a terrorist or a national security threat,” Homan remarked during a CNN interview on Monday.
“They’re in the country illegally — they’ve got a problem,” he added when questioned about parents. “It’s not OK to enter this country illegally; it’s a crime.”
DeSantis has echoed these sentiments, advocating for Florida's strong support of Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives. Even though he is entangled in a contentious dispute with the Legislature over policy differences in their bill, he indicated his backing for potential arrests in Florida schools.
“We will affirmatively assist these operations across the state,” DeSantis affirmed Wednesday. “It will probably be more dependent on them to see how they want to go in or what they want to do.”
“What Biden did, they said you can’t do sensitive [areas], and they drew big circles around any church, any school. The problem is, once you’ve done that, there’s almost no place that you can do it,” DeSantis continued. “You could conduct a raid in the woods somewhere.”
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
