Undocumented Immigrants

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed on Tuesday that Marie Ange Blaise, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, died in federal custody at the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach.

The operation began Monday and targeted immigrants living in the country illegally with final deportation orders, according to an ICE official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. The officers picked up more than 275 migrants with final removal orders, the data showed.

A federal judge on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to move forward with a requirement that everyone in the U.S. illegally must register with the federal government and carry documentation, in a move that could have far-reaching repercussions for immigrants across the country.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition, the Farmworker Association of Florida and two individual plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in federal court in Miami. It challenges a law (SB 4-C) that passed during a February special legislative session.

Immigration officials are saying that anyone living in the U.S. illegally will soon have to register with the federal government, and those who fail to do so could face fines, imprisonment or both.

The federal government has ordered a Southwest Florida resident, an undocumented worker, to be deported by the end of March. His son worries about how his family will cope.

Following more than four hours of deliberations on Tuesday, Florida's Republican-dominated Legislature passed the measure largely along party lines. The Senate voted 21-16 to approve the bill, while the House passed it 82-30.

Currently, Florida students who are without such permission can qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Sen. Randy Fine has also filed a bill that would repeal that provision.

Many undocumented people are not eligible for federal financial disaster aid and several remain fearful even when help is offered.

DeSantis said the measures are “fighting back against reckless federal government policies and ensuring the Florida taxpayers are not footing the bill for illegal immigration.” Critics warn the law is spreading fear among immigrants and they are stepping up their efforts to weaken it.

A USF survey of Hillsborough County's immigrant community reveals the ripple effects of the 2023 law. Immigration advocates say they've had to clear up misconceptions.

A federal judge on Thursday struck down a Biden administration policy that aimed to ease a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens.