In this presidential election year in the United States and while illegal immigration is one of the main campaign themes, undocumented immigrants are more than ever in the sights of Ron DeSantis, who has thrown in the towel in the race in the Republican primary.
Florida's governor signed bills on Friday that increase prison sentences for illegal immigrants if they are convicted of driving without a license or committing misdemeanors and felonies.
“We do not tolerate illegal immigration, much less lawlessness committed by illegal aliens who should not be here. The bills I signed further strengthen Florida's law enforcement capabilities
,” DeSantis said Friday.
Life sentence for armed robbery
In the case of a repeat offense for driving without papers, the maximum sentence will now increase from 60 days in prison to one year.
This bill actually applies to everyone - including American citizens - but, in practice, targets undocumented immigrants more because they do not have the right to take a driving license and are therefore particularly targeted by this bill. type of convictions.
In the United States, only nineteen states and Washington DC issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, cited by the
Guardian
.
Concerning misdemeanors and crimes, a burglary or car theft committed by an undocumented migrant will now be punishable by a sentence of 15 years in prison, compared to 5 years previously.
For aggravated assault and battery, 30 years instead of 15. For armed robbery, life imprisonment instead of 30 years.
Also readRepublican primaries: “The withdrawal of Ron DeSantis marks the failure of Trumpism without Trump”
At the head of a state in the south of the United States, Ron DeSantis regularly vilifies Joe Biden for his management of migratory flows at the border with Mexico, the epicenter of numerous controversies between the American president and his predecessor and competitor Donald Trump .
The governor of Florida notably sent members of the National Guard to Texas and flew illegal migrants back to Massachusetts and California.