Bill Would Let Florida Use Military Force To Block 'Invaders'

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Florida Gov. Rick Scott would be able to call for the use of military force to block some refugees from entering the Sunshine State if a bill being kicked around in the House goes the distance.

The “Prevention of Acts of War” bill cleared a hurdle Wednesday when the House Criminal Justice Committee approved the measure in a 9-4 vote, several media outlets have reported. All committee Republicans were in favor of the measure that seeks to prevent the resettlement of refugees if they happen to be from a country where “invaders” are known to live and train. Democrats cast the four dissenting votes.

The bill seeks to block entry into or resettlement to Florida by “certain restricted persons.” Those restricted persons are defined as foreign refugees and immigrants who originate from, or have been in close proximity to, “any location in which invaders or prospective invaders are known to originate or organize or train for violent acts of war.”

See Also:

• ‘Staggering Incompetence’ Enabled Terrorist’s U.S. Entry, Buchanan Says
• ‘Social Media Screening for Terrorists Act’ Filed

The law would give the governor the authority to use “all powers and resources,” including police, military force and emergency powers, to bar entry of restricted persons into the state. That authorization would stand “unless the Governor has reasonable cause to believe that the restricted person is not an invader,” the bill states.

The bill also authorizes the governor and the state’s attorney general to “challenge specified federal laws and regulations.”

A similar bill has been introduced in the Florida Senate. It has been referred to several committees there, but no action has been taken as of yet.

Should the measure make it through to the governor’s desk, it would become law immediately upon receiving his signature. The bill does make exceptions for refugees from the Western Hemisphere.

The bill’s movement in the Florida House comes as controversy over Syrian refugees continues on the national level. U.S. Senate Democrats recently blocked a bill that would have stopped the country from allowing entry of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until strict vetting processes were conducted, USA Today reported. President Barack Obama has announced plans to bring in up to 10,000 refugees from Syria over the next year.

Obama’s plans have raised concerns among some who fear some of the refugees might be ISIS terrorists. Those fears were fueled by a December terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., that left 14 dead and 22 people injured. One of the shooters in that attack, Tashfeen Malik, 29, was a recent immigrant to the country. While Malik reportedly pledged her support for Islamic jihad on Facebook, the federal government did not vet her social media activity during the visa screening process.

That failure to vet was called “staggering incompetence” by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida.

“We have heard repeatedly that terrorists use social media as a recruitment and communication tool and yet we don’t bother to screen their online activity before allowing them into America,” Buchanan said in a statement following the December attack. “We should have been tracking their social media all along, but apparently our government was too concerned about political correctness and violating the privacy rights of foreigners. This woman never should have been allowed into our country after pledging Islamic jihad on Facebook.”

Buchanan went on to file a bill that would make it mandatory for U.S. security agencies to screen social media during the visa vetting process.

To read the text of the Florida House bill, visit the House’s website.

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