Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled Thursday a plan to lure Chicago police officers to the Sunshine State with billboards that tout its relocation bonus and criticizes a new Illinois law that will let noncitizens become cops.
The Republican governor’s roadside advertisements say, “Citizenship Matters. Law Enforcement Matters. Make the Smart Move to Florida!” The billboards specifically mention a $5,000 one-time bonus for out-of-state police officers who move to Florida for work.
“We stand behind our citizen officers, and we give them the tools to succeed professionally and personally,” Mr. DeSantis said in a statement. “Other states deputize noncitizens, enact policies that favor criminals over victims, and work to overtly or covertly defund the police, but not in Florida. I look forward to welcoming the Illinois men and women in blue to the law-and-order state.”
Next year, Illinois will allow all noncitizens who can legally work and own a gun in the U.S. to apply for a job in law enforcement.
Legal scholars told The Associated Press that the criteria would include lawful permanent residents, green card holders, and refugees and asylum seekers granted permanent legal status. The law also listed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA recipients, to be eligible to work for police departments, even though DACA recipients aren’t allowed to own guns.
Mr. DeSantis took aim at Illinois’ elimination of its cash bail system as well — a provision upheld this year after previously being ruled unconstitutional by a state judge. Judges will now determine if someone should be held before trial based on the danger he or she presents to the community.
The governor said more than 2,700 law enforcement recruits from 48 states and two U.S. territories have relocated to Florida.
That includes more than 230 recruits from California, New York and Pennsylvania and 37 from Illinois.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.