Immigration

A University of Florida international student from Colombia who was renewing his student visa was arrested in a traffic stop and is being held by immigration agents in South Florida, his family says.A Gainesville police officer stopped Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, on March 28 driving near the UF football stadium and ticketed him because his sedan’s registration had expired in July 2024 and his driver’s license had expired in 2023, according to court records.

Pointing to the federal government’s power to regulate immigration, a U.S. district judge Friday temporarily blocked a new Florida law aimed at cracking down on undocumented immigrants.Miami-based Judge Kathleen Williams issued a 14-page decision granting a request for a temporary restraining order against the law, which the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved in February.

The recent controversy and confusion over immigration enforcement training for Fort Myers police may cost the long-time city attorney his job.Grant Alley has been attorney for the city of Fort Myers since the summer of 1995 — nearly 30 years.

Not cozying up to dictators; Medicare, Medicaid, veterans' benefits are crossover issues bringing Democrats and Republicans together; 1,000 pledge to attend anti-Trump policies rally in Naples.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday his office has tools including suspending officials from office to compel local governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in assisting in detentions and deportations.

The Urban Institute found that immigrants worried about essential activities such as driving, talking to police, seeking health care services, or taking their children to school a month before Trump came back to the White House.

The Florida Sheriff’s Association plans to bring back a controversial program that faced criticism for racial profiling. The group announced it at a meeting in Polk County Monday detailing how they plan to crack down on undocumented immigrants in the state.President of the Florida Sheriff’s Association Bill Prummel announced they are reinstating a street task force program. It gives state and local law enforcement more power under ICE to deport undocumented immigrants.

Florida has more Haitian nationals than any other state. Local advocates says state needs to brace for fallout of a mass deportation.

President Donald Trump emerged as the biggest winner Thursday as the Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a suite of measures aimed at strengthening enforcement of illegal immigration.Quickly signed into law by the governor, the wide-ranging plan toughens penalties for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants; creates a statewide immigration enforcement panel; imposes the death penalty for undocumented immigrants who commit first-degree murder or rape children; and makes it a state crime for undocumented immigrants to enter the state.