Florida Governor, Republican Ron DeSantis on Thursday launched a package of new initiatives aimed at combating undocumented immigrants, among which is an extension of E-Verify, an administrative system that employers must use.

At a press conference in Jacksonville (northeast Florida), the governor, who becomes a possible candidate for the White House in 2024, criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policy, saying it was causing “an influx of drugs and other problems.” on the southern border of the country.

With a sign behind him that read “Biden’s Border Crisis,” DeSantis announced a number of his priorities, which he said should be taken into account by state lawmakers and will be aimed at cracking down on the undocumented in Florida.

He package presented by the governor titled “Fighting Florida’s Biden Border Crisis” it includes “improving” punishments for human trafficking and considers the transportation, concealment or harboring of illegal aliens as a “felony of the third degree”, punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment.

Among other measures to “obstruct illegal immigration to Florida.” hospitals will be required to collect patient immigration status data and submit periodic expense reports. assistance to illegal aliens.

“Through this law, Florida continues to fight alien smuggling by preventing municipalities from issuing IDs to people here illegally and by ensuring that employers hire U.S. citizens or those who are legally here,” DeSantis said in a statement.