A Republican Florida state lawmaker proposed a bill Monday that would open up opportunities for families to sue some local governments over killings committed by illegal immigrants.
The Shane Jones Act, which would expand on the Sunshine State’s staunch immigration laws, was authored in honor of its namesake, who was killed in a traffic accident involving an alleged illegal immigrant in 2019.
Rep. Berny Jacques, who introduced the bill, said that Jones’ widowed wife, Nikki, helped inspire the legislation. The bill would impose harsher restrictions on illegal immigrants and even law enforcement officials who violate the state’s immigration policies.
“For too long, American families have been left to pick up the pieces after their loved ones were taken from them by crimes that could have been prevented,” Nikki Jones said in a press release. “The Shane Jones Act represents a turning point, finally holding local governments accountable when they fail to enforce immigration laws.”
The bill outlines a new structure allowing families to sue local governments over the death of a loved one, but only if an illegal immigrant is found to be responsible. It also proposes a $10,000 fine for out-of-compliance law enforcement agencies, which would go toward compensation for the grieving families.
Jacques insisted that the current immigration laws in Florida “require that law enforcement agencies collaborate with federal immigration enforcement officers,” according to a press release.
In the Sunshine State, the law mandates that police agencies use their “best efforts” to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), though none are currently required to enter into 287(g) agreements with the federal agency.
The state further argued that no city or police department can cancel the partnerships once they have been agreed to, warning that doing so would be an act of defiance against Florida’s mandate.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/21/us-news/proposed-florida-bill-would-permit-families-to-sue-for-killings-by-undocumented-immigrants-fine-police-refusing-to-work-with-ice/