Policy

Representative Randy Fine (R-FL) claimed that the lenient stance of Democrats on illegal immigration is in pursuit of political power in a recent interview with The Floridian. Rep. Fine began by referencing the ongoing Minnesota welfare fraud scandal perpetrated primarily by Somali migrants, noting that "80% of Somalians [are] on some form of government assistance," a […]

The Trump administration unveiled TrumpRx.gov on Feb.5, a direct-to-consumer website it says will help patients buy prescription drugs at a discounted rate if they pay cash rather than through their health insurance. “You’re going to save a fortune,” President Donald Trump said during the launch event. “And this is also so good for overall health […]

Democratic leaders outlined their requirements for funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Feb. 4, threatening to block funding when it expires less than two weeks later unless there are “dramatic changes” and “real accountability” for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal enforcement agencies involved in the Trump administration's immigration crackdowns […]

Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced this week that Florida Farmers can soon apply for more than $600 million in grant assistance from the Florida Block Grant Disaster Relief Program following impacts from the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons, which included 2024 storms Milton and Helene. “I want to thank President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary […]

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorney was removed from her post with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Feb. 4, after declaring to a Minnesota judge during a hearing on immigration enforcement that the “system sucks” and that her “job sucks.” She also stated that she wished the judge would hold her in […]

The Trump administration is withdrawing 700 federal immigration agents in Minnesota “effective immediately,” White House border Czar Tom Homan announced on Feb. 4 during a press conference in Minneapolis. Despite the reduction in personnel, Homan affirmed that immigration crackdowns will persist within the state. Nearly 25% of the total number of federal officers deployed to […]

Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez (R) commented on the recent evaluations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a new detention facility in Orlando. The facility ICE is potentially looking at is a large warehouse in Orlando intended to address increasing capacity needs as other detention centers are beginning to exceed maximum capacity. In an […]

President Donald Trump has signed a nearly $1.2 trillion funding package to end the four-day partial government shutdown on Feb. 3, following the Republican-led House’s passage of the bipartisan bill just hours prior. The measure, which allocates funds for the Pentagon, Treasury, Education, Labor, and State departments until Sept. 30, passed with a vote of […]

Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation promoting a "food as medicine" approach to support veterans with diet-related chronic illnesses. Specifically, Rep. Buchanan's Produce Prescription for Veterans Act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prescribe special diets and to issue debit cards or vouchers that veterans can use to purchase fresh […]

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shared this past week that he believes he can garner the Republican votes to end a partial government shutdown within days, with the House debating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms within the following two weeks. "I’m very optimistic that we will get everyone back in town,” Johnson said […]

Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who were taken into custody by federal immigration agents in Minnesota on Jan. 20 and held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas, have been released following U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio’s order against the Trump administration’s […]

Former CNN journalist Don Lemon has been arrested on charges connected to Minnesota church protest earlier this month. A church service in St. Paul was interrupted by protestors earlier this month after it was revealed that David Easterwood, one of the congregation’s pastors, leads a local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office. Lemon […]

In his continued effort to combat U.S. dependency on foreign-made generic drugs, Florida Congressman Rick Scott (R) announced his Consumer Labeling for Enhanced API Reporting and Legitimate Accountability for Base Entity Listings (CLEAR LABELS) Act during a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing. During the hearing, titled “Truth in Labeling: Americans Deserve to Know Where […]

U.S. "Border Czar" Tom Homan gave his first news conference on Jan. 29, since his arrival in Minnesota, affirming that “massive changes” will be made to federal immigration operations in the state. He pledged to “draw down” the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal officers within the area. “I’m not here […]

Florida Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar’s (R) DIGNITY Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393) has secured 35 cosponsors, with 4 recently agreeing to sign on to the bill, aiming to modernize the U.S. immigration system. "This moment demands action, and I’m encouraged to see growing support from my colleagues in Congress,” said Rep. Salazar in a press […]

The Senate is set to take a procedural vote on Jan. 29 on a bill to fund the remaining government agencies and programs, amid a potential partial government shutdown expected by Jan. 30. Democratic senators met privately on Jan. 28 to discuss a list of demands for reforming the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and […]

Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) has introducing the Senate companion bill to Representative Laurel Lee's (R-FL) Combating Online Predators Act, which passed the House of Representatives in December. As The Floridian recently covered, the Combating Online Predators Act strengthens federal law by explicitly criminalizing threats to distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as sextortion. According to […]

A federal judge in Minnesota has temporarily halted the Trump Administration from arresting and detaining resettled refugees in the state, following a suit accusing federal immigration officers of “hunting” them down and transporting them to a detention facility in Texas. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim said federal immigration agencies can continue lawful immigration procedures in […]