Florida Becomes First State in a Move to Deport Illegal Aliens before the Expiration of their Prison Term

On June 8, 1994, Florida became the first state in the United States to start deporting illegal immigrants imprisoned for nonviolent offenses while living unlawfully in the U.S. The main motivation in the Florida initiative is their desire to reduce the costs of illegal immigration and to ease crowding in state prisons. The program to deport illegal aliens is part of a lawsuit the State of Florida has brought against the federal government demanding that the federal government reimburse the State for fees associated with providing services to illegal immigrants. Texas and California have filed similar lawsuits, and Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey and New York have stated they may seek Federal permission to emulate Florida?s program in deporting illegal aliens?[more]