A bill that would penalize any company that transports illegal migrants to Florida has been passed by the State Senate’s Judiciary Committee by a wide margin.
Introduced on Jan. 7 by Aaron Bean ,(R-Fernandina Beach), SB 1808 would forbid any government entity from entering into a contract with a common carrier that transports “unauthorized” migrants into the state.
The measure stems from reports that private-sector contractors had been hired by the federal government to transport illegal aliens from border states and elsewhere to Florida without advance notice to local authorities. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he would back such legislation during a November press conference in Jacksonville.
Detractors have labeled the proposed measure unconstitutional and that it could target companies that transport unaccompanied undocumented minors to the state for care.
The Senate’s Judiciary Committee passed SB1808 on Jan. 24 by a vote of 6-3.
The measure now moved on to the Senate’s Appropriations Committee for consideration.
