For America’s Sake, Florida Needs California’s Proposition 187

American Thinker ^ | 3 Feb, 2026 | Joseph Ford Cotto

[MtnClimber]

Florida stands at a consequential moment in the national debate over illegal immigration.

The state has already moved decisively to protect taxpayers, reinforce the rule of law, and support federal agents. What comes next should be durable, voter-approved, and immune to the shifting moods of Washington.

A Florida-tailored constitutional amendment modeled on the core framework of California’s Proposition 187 represents the logical next step, not as nostalgia, but as evolution.

Properly adapted to Florida’s legal system and adopted through the state’s referendum process, such a measure would anchor immigration control in constitutional certainty. Simultaneously, public confidence would be bolstered, after being shaken by the Minnesota episodes and their mixed response inside the Republican Party.

The urgency is not abstract. Late last month, prominent Florida Republicans publicly criticized the Donald Trump administration’s immigration stance following the firestorm in Minnesota.

Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia told The New York Times that anti-illegal alien measures had “gone too far.”

SNIP

The path forward is not retreat, hesitation, or rhetorical softening. It is clarity. A Florida constitutional amendment modeled on Proposition 187 would shift the focus from theatrical federal raids to clear, lawful, state-grounded rules that protect public resources while crippling illegal immigration.

California’s Proposition 187, passed by voters in 1994 by a near-20-point margin, sought to deny illegal aliens access to most state-funded public services. It required verification and reporting of immigration status by state and local agencies.

Its provisions included barring illegal immigrants from non-emergency public benefits, denying non-emergency publicly funded healthcare, restricting access to public education, mandating cooperation with federal authorities, and imposing penalties for false documentation and noncompliant public employees.

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TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: california; florida; illegalimmigration; prop187; proposition187

[MtnClimber]

This would pass in Florida by huge margins as long as they don’t let the illegal immigrants vote.

[ClearCase_guy]

barring illegal immigrants from non-emergency public benefits, denying non-emergency publicly funded healthcare

But would everything be an emergency?

[ncalburt]

Dem operatives at Morgan and Morgan are too busy pushing
legalizing the god awful Pot again after its been voted down twice already .

We need to ban Ambulance chaser lawyers in Fl .

[JayGalt]

I have no wish to be a naysayer but the passing of thos proposition in California furnished no protection to Californians. To the left the rule of law is merely an inconvenience to be ignored or circumvented. There is no substitute for voter involvement.

[aynrandfreak]

I followed Joe Cotto on X. He does a fair amount of engagement farming. From July-November 2004 he posted about 100 different ways asking who else Trump should have picked as VP.

Why would conservatives want to use CA as a model for immigration legislation? Because they've done such a good job stopping illegal immigration with that law? Dems often for propose strong-sounding language that isn't enforced (and probably easy for activist judges to punch holes in)

[AZJeep]

Yes.
Just try to go to any Hospital ER.
The waiting room is just filled with suspiciously looking, but seemingly healthy people, who are just getting free treatment.
It is actually quite scarry in some ER’s!

[Fiji Hill]

When Prop. 187 was on the ballot, opponents stood on street corners and freeway bridges waving Mexican flags. That tactic backfired, and it passed overwhelmingly. I know of liberal Democrats who voted for it just because they were enraged by the Mexican flags.

Unfortunately, the courts struck it down, and neither the Democrat administration of Gray Davis, the “Republican” administration of Arnold Schwarzenegger, nor any subsequent government would fight for it in court.

[tinamina]

I lived in California during proposition 187 voting and the judge overturned the law, which was over whelmingly voted for by Californians

[vikingd00d]

>>I have no wish to be a naysayer but the passing of thos proposition in California furnished no protection to Californians.

That’s because a Leftist judge immediately enjoined it and the A.G. refused to defend the law in court.

[thecodont]

We Californians voted for Prop. 187 and a judge snuffed it out in its crib.

[DIRTYSECRET]

9th circuit-Thelton Henderson. I remember Jack Kemp and William Bennett speaking out against it from DC. Governor Pete Wilson told them to stuff it. California is now deep blue. Was it the chicken or the egg?

[Rockingham]

The problem is that Florida’s agriculture, tourism, restaurant, and landscaping businesses are heavily reliant on illegals for cheap labor. Those interests are organized and have enough clout to block strong action in the legislature. And, so far, no one has put up the millions necessary to draft an anti-illegal immigration measure, get it on the ballot, and approved by the voters.

[Drew68]

This would pass in Florida by huge margins as long as they don’t let the illegal immigrants vote.

It passed in California by huge margins.

And then some geriatric Carter-appointed federal judge shot it down and Gov. Gray Davis chose not to appeal the ruling.

[bert]

Florida is experiencing tremendous immigration of skilled and highly educated workers and lots of corporations.

The Florida immigrants are fleeing New York and California and coming to America

[Brian Griffin]

From my health care funding plan:

EMTALA (and Medicaid ER) Reform

To get care under the EMTALA or Medicaid for yourself or custodial child, the hospital might require you to
1. pay $100 in cash or by financial organization card accepted at the emergency care facility,
2. hand over your valid SNAP card and tender a matching valid domestic governmental picture ID,
3. hand over your valid domestic driver’s license,
4. hand over your valid US passport,
5. hand over your operable Apple or Samsung cellphone model listed by a current regulation issued by a Secretary of HHS, or
6. hand over a valid domestic governmental picture ID of yours and
a tender matching financial institution statement less than 70 days old showing a domestic governmental or employer direct deposit of at least $150, both for hospital photocopying and recordkeeping.

States might be allowed to authorize emergency care facilities to contemporaneously debit SNAP cards for EMTALA incidents.

Items handed over may be retained by the emergency care facility until retrieved within one month by the responsible party by paying $100, or more, for the care, plus a retrieval fee not exceeding $20 in a manner the facility accepts. Items not timely retrieved may be disposed of in a legally allowable manner.

NOTE: People can get the care they need, but only by paying $100, forfeiting an expensive cellphone, or going through the hassle of replacing a SNAP card or government picture ID.

HOSPITAL EMTALA COST ASSISTANCE

I would allow hospitals collect up to $1,000 per incident of EMTALA service from patient related employers, with payment not in excess of $50 per week per employee concerned being due to any and all EMTALA providers and not for more than 100 weeks after service. Such payments on behalf of an employee would be considered to be a debt of the employee to the employer. Employers could collect back from employees and ex-employees (and require EMTALA incident employees to participate in an employer plan).

[JayGalt]

Agreed. But no guarantee that will not happen in Florida in years to come.

[Brian Griffin]

Eliminate taxation and imposts on personal residences.

Fund schools through employer fees, sales taxes and weight-based vehicle taxes.

Señor Ilicto might be allowed stay if his employer pays for the schooling and medical care of his kids.

State law might require employers to pay for the schooling and PPACA scope coverage of such kids (and other kids).

The employer would get to choose the schooling. It would be private and might cost the employer $4,000/year/kid.

[Brian Griffin]

My area of Florida now demographically looks like Northern Virginia did when I left it.

Refugee programs and funding allow Democrats to convert areas such as Minnesota into Democratic thiefdoms.

[Brian Griffin]

The country is headed towards Donkey Communism and Republicans appear too stupid to stop it.

Retire if you can and spend down your assets insomuch as possible.