DeSantis takes victory lap

TALLAHASSEE --- It had all the makings of a political rally, but it was a bill-signing ceremony for one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ biggest priorities: banning so-called sanctuary cities.

In the ruby red county of Okaloosa, which just so happens to be the backyard of Congressman Matt Gaetz, DeSantis signed one of the 2019 legislative session’s most-controversial bills, which will force local governments to fully comply with federal immigration laws.

Senate sponsor Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican who doubles as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, accompanied DeSantis at Friday’s bill-signing ceremony. The bill gives DeSantis the authority to remove local officials if they do not comply, which is something the governor sought, said House sponsor Cord Byrd, a Neptune Beach Republican and attorney who also took part in the Panhandle event.

For the crowd at the event and people watching online, the ceremony was a clear victory lap for Republicans, who under President Donald Trump have embraced tough stances on immigration enforcement. For DeSantis, eliminating sanctuary cities was a key campaign promise during his 2018 election.

Critics of the bill, however, have often argued that the Republican focus on the sanctuary-cities issue stems from political reasons rather than fixing an actual problem. They say Florida doesn’t have sanctuary cities, and the bill is about pleasing the GOP base.

Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Miami Democrat who has been an outspoken critic of the bill, said Thursday that holding the ceremony in Okaloosa County was a sign of the political motivation. He said it would give the governor and Gaetz, a DeSantis ally who represents the conservative western Panhandle, a “safe place,” with fewer protests than say… in Miami-Dade County, where immigrants abound.

DeSantis, surrounded by cheering supporters Friday, said that “we’re delivering on the promises that we made to the people of Florida” during last year’s campaign. He also said the bill will help protect the public from undocumented immigrants who are criminals.

“This is about the rule of law,” he said. “It’s also about public safety.”

From The News Service of Florida