DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia held a news conference on Wednesday morning in Daytona Beach to discuss new immigration-related legislation, law enforcement protections, and ongoing state initiatives.
Joined by Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young, and other law enforcement officials, Ingoglia outlined his continued push against illegal immigration, framing it as a key priority alongside his broader efforts to reduce “excessive” government spending and prepare Floridians for a property tax amendment expected on the November ballot.
On Tuesday, Ingoglia’s office revealed afternoon that his “priority legislation” (HB 1307) had finally passed its first committee hearing.
“If there’s any place an illegal immigrant wants to settle in the nation, the last place they’re probably going to look these days is the state of Florida," said Ingoglia.
HB 1307 would prohibit the DFS from issuing licenses or certifications to undocumented immigrants.
In addition, the bill requires that all licensing procedures, pre-licensing instruction, and licensing testing for commercial driver licenses be conducted in English.
In addition, Ingoglia announced a proposal to extend Florida’s Halo Law protections—currently safeguarding state and local first responders—from harassment and interference to include federal law enforcement officers. This extension would apply to officers conducting immigration enforcement activities, with penalties for those who approach or harass them during operations.
The news conference also highlighted the state’s commitment to supporting local law enforcement through the 287(g) program, which partners state and local agencies with federal immigration authorities.
“Today, we are here to give out the 287(g) reimbursement checks because these guys are doing the hard work," Ingoglia said.
Florida has allocated $250 million in reimbursements to law enforcement agencies for activities related to the program.
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Ingoglia has also recently traveled across the state, criticizing what he calls excessive spending and exposing scams, including a recent $1.7 million fraud case.