Appropriations committee advances bill funding state immigration enforcement and ending in‑state tuition waivers for some students

Senator Jay Gruters, sponsor of SB 2C, told the Appropriations Committee the bill creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, funds local law enforcement grants and interdiction activities, and ends an existing in‑state tuition waiver for students without lawful status.

The bill would appropriate funds for a grant program to reimburse eligible local law‑enforcement expenses and to provide bonuses for officers involved in federal immigration task force operations; the sponsor described a $250,000,000 grant pot and additional appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to hire sworn interdiction personnel and to build a new interdiction station in North Florida along the I‑10 corridor. "President Trump is asking for more badges, more detention beds for criminals awaiting deportation, and a laser focus on catching criminal illegals who violate our laws," Gruters said while introducing the measure.

The measure retains and expands coordination tools between state, local and federal enforcement, including broader information sharing with federal agencies and a revised State Immigration Enforcement Council. It also strengthens sentencing provisions for noncitizens accused of certain crimes, mandates pretrial detention for noncitizens charged with forcible felonies according to the language presented, and replaces parts of the unauthorized‑alien transport program with a version requiring federal direction and reimbursement of state costs.

Why it matters: supporters framed SB 2C as a multi‑pronged effort to back federal immigration enforcement by using state grants, staffing and coordination; opponents said the bill risks constitutional challenges, diverts hundreds of millions in state dollars from other priorities, and will chill cooperation with law enforcement in immigrant communities.

Committee debate and public comment: committee members asked how the bill interacts with existing programs (notably 287(g) agreements) and whether it addresses labor incentives that draw undocumented workers. Senator Smith asked specifically whether the bill strengthens E‑Verify; the sponsor said it does not and could be addressed in the regular session. Senator Fine, the bill’s co‑introducer on education issues, said the bill would eliminate in‑state tuition eligibility for any student who cannot prove lawful presence. "If you're an illegal immigrant, you will no longer be eligible for in‑state tuition," Fine said during Q&A.

Public commenters warned of legal and fiscal risks. Aurelie Colona Rauri of the Southern Poverty Law Center urged a no vote and said the bill's pretrial detention language "would undermine our fundamental liberties and expose our state to costly litigation." Kara Gross of the ACLU told the committee the measure "instill[s] unimaginable fear in Florida's hardworking and law‑abiding immigrant families" and called the repeal of in‑state tuition "cruel and misguided." Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, speaking for information, said ICE bed availability has increased and emphasized the need for more beds if detainers are widely honored.

Votes and next steps: the committee reported SB 2C favorably. The committee hearing record captures multiple requests from senators for additional written answers on bed capacity, reimbursement rates, and details of the proposed allocations and bonus programs.

What the bill does not do: it does not, in the language presented to the committee, mandate statewide E‑Verify for employers. It also does not, at this committee hearing, add salary increases for state corrections staff; sponsors said those types of budget items are handled during the regular session budget process.

For now, SB 2C moves from the Appropriations Committee to the next committee or floor process according to Senate procedure.