WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The immigration debate is heating up in Florida this week.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis, alongside two Central Florida sheriffs, said Wednesday that he wants the state to lead a crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
“Are you supposed to sit there and wait till somebody is victimized? No, you’re illegal. Entry into our state was a crime. We get that on the books, and then we send you back home where you belong,” DeSantis said.
Desantis also proposes adding state criminal penalties for illegal entry and enabling local law enforcement to deport immigrants.
“Local police only works when our communities are working together,” said Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet with the Hope Community Center. “What this will do, it will mean that the witnesses of crimes and the victims of crimes are not going to report these crimes, which makes our entire community less safe.”
Watch: Undocumented immigrants working in Central Florida worry about upcoming immigration policies
State lawmakers will debate those proposals during a special session later this month.
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