Florida officials aren't wasting time implementing their new legislation, which increases penalties for crimes committed by immigrants in the country without legal authorization and allocates nearly $300 million toward beefing up state and local participation in federal immigration enforcement.

Brayan De Los Rios said it’s getting harder for him to make ends meet. His sales at Latin Touch Spanish Grocery in Brandon have dropped by more than 30% since January. He’s worried many of his Hispanic customers have stopped coming because they are afraid of new immigration policies out of Tallahassee and Washington,

Gov. Ron DeSantis said that more state agencies have reached agreements for officers to be trained and participate in immigration-enforcement efforts with the federal government. Among them are the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida State Guard.

Ron DeSantis signed a law tightening restrictions on immigration in 2023. Out of nearly 80 workers and their families who used to work on his Plant City strawberry and vegetable farm, eight stayed. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes,