A local newspaper in President-elect Donald Trump‘s home state of Florida has slammed his controversial mass deportation policy as “half-baked”.
“Truth is, there is no need to call 160 lawmakers from across the state to somehow come up with legislation to address a half-baked immigration plan that relies heavily on mass deportation—a move that would cripple Florida and its key industries of agriculture, construction and tourism that the governor is supposed to support,” an op-ed published by The Palm Beach Post reads.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team for further comment via email outside of normal office hours.
Why It Matters
Immigration and the economy were top concerns for voters in the state of Florida in the 2024 presidential election.
What To Know
One of the flagship immigration policies the new Trump administration is expected to roll out in its first few days is a mass deportation program.
Trump has said the focus will be on individuals who have committed additional crimes, while also referencing figures of up to 11 million people.
The figure refers to the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants who reside in the United States, per the Pew Research Center.
The op-ed by The Palm Beach Post comes in response to Governor Ron DeSantis calling for a special session of the Florida Legislature to prepare for Trump’s immigration policies.
During a press conference on Monday, just days after Republican governors met with Trump at Mar-A-Lago, DeSantis stated, “This is the time to get it right once and for all.”
Florida banned sanctuary cities shortly after DeSantis took office in 2019, but with the state being home to some 4.8 million immigrants, around a quarter of whom are undocumented, the governor said new legislation would be needed to enforce the incoming administration’s hardline immigration agenda.
The Palm Beach Post wrote that Florida residents have “more pressing issues” that need to be addressed, such as inflation and the cost of living.
According to the American Immigration Council, the mass removal policy could result in an enormous one-time expense of $315 billion for the U.S. Additionally, deporting 1 million individuals annually could incur costs as high as $88 billion per year.
Agricultural output will fall between $30 and $60 billion if Trump’s flagship policy is carried out, according to the American Business Immigration Coalition.
What People Are Saying
An op-ed by The Palm Beach Post reads: “There are already laws that allow local law enforcers and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement to collaborate to fight illegal immigration, and go after those undocumented immigrants who have broken the law.
“Typically, special legislative sessions are called to deal with big Florida problems, and once the lawmakers arrive in the state capitol, there are specific bills to consider to address those problems.”
Governor DeSantis at a press conference: “We need to act, and we need to act quickly. We don’t have time to waste. The American people spoke very clearly.”
What Happens Next
A special legislative session in Florida has been scheduled for January 27, 2025.
DeSantis said that the state’s legislature will also address natural disaster relief and the process of amending the state constitution through citizen-initiated petitions.
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