Migrants

DeSantis said Wednesday that California invited the migrants with its welcoming policies toward immigrants. He said those policies serve as a magnet for people looking for a better life and make it harder to crack down on illegal immigration.

Republican lawmakers in Florida are scrambling to convince established immigrant workers who already have jobs to stay, while making it inhospitable for newly arrived migrants.

The Tuesday comments by a spokeswoman from the Florida Division of Emergency Management refute allegations by California officials that the individuals were coerced to travel under false pretenses.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the 16 migrants, who turned up in Sacramento, had documentation that appeared to have been issued by Florida.

More than 20,000 new immigrant students have enrolled in Miami-Dade County Public Schools this year — more enrollments than the district saw after Hurricane Maria. The majority come from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, crisis-hit countries covered by Biden's new parole program.

Farmworker Association of Central Florida’s Jeannie Economos said there’s bipartisan support for the bill, but it still hasn’t been read by a committee in the House or Senate.

The lawsuit contended that a section of the state budget used to pay for the September flights was unconstitutional.

Republicans say the program would help migrants by taking them to sanctuary cities. Democrats say it as a political stunt meant to serve the governor’s national political ambitions.

As Florida dedicates more money to transport migrants from other states, advocates say there isn't enough oversight to make sure transport is done legally and that migrants are relocated voluntarily.

Said DeSantis on the Disney bill: “This is obliviously now going to be controlled by the state of Florida, which is no longer self-governing for them. So, there’s a new sheriff in town, and that’s just the way its going to be.”

It will address a range of topics, including election crimes and hurricane recovery.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas insisted the new parole policy has relieved the border crisis — and so questioned why Republicans oppose it.