‘What it comes down to is safety': Jacksonville councilmen file bills to combat illegal immigration
Two Jacksonville City Council members filed proposals Wednesday meant to crack down on illegal immigration at the local level.
One would block illegal immigrants from using city services; the other would provide resources for police.
Action News Jax's Annette Gutierrez spoke with both Councilman Rory Diamond and Councilman Kevin Carrico about the reasoning behind these bills.
They said they want to double down on the federal initiatives to crack down on illegal immigration.
Read: 'Now I have a voice': Jacksonville sheriff joins statewide illegal immigration crackdown
These bills come after we learned on Monday that Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters will serve on a newly established immigration enforcement council created by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Carrico's proposed legislation states the city will fund the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office with 25 fingerprint readers to help the agency accurately identify undocumented immigrants.
'What it comes down to is safety, and the idea of the bill is to create a place where people follow the laws,' Carrico said.
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Meanwhile, Diamond's proposed ordinance states that taxpayer money cannot be used on anyone who is in the country – and city – illegally.
He said this includes homeless shelters, food services, and job assistance.
The bill said the city has to verify if recipients of services are legal, and if they aren't, Diamond said JSO has the right to arrest them.
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Diamond says he wants to keep Jacksonville from becoming a sanctuary city.
'It just says if we're paying the taxes, it should go to people from Jacksonville,' Diamond said.
Coming up on CBS47 and FOX30 Action News Jax at 10 and 11, hear from an immigration attorney who reacts to the bills and how they might affect people she tries to help.
You can read Diamond's proposed legislation below:
GC #1672776 v1 Unauthorized Aliens Reporting Code Amd (Diamond) by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
You can read more about Carrico's proposed 'Jacksonville Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act' below:
Cvp Carrico Jiiea by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
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