Bay area lawmakers to seek immigration reform in special session

Tampa - Illegal immigration has become such a big problem in Florida, lawmakers cannot wait until next year to come up with a solution Lutz Representative Kevin Ambler said. They want action taken to secure Florida's borders as early as next week.

Ambler and Sen. Paula Dockery (R) Lakeland say they will file legislation to curtail public benefits for undocumented  immigrants, and crack down on people who are illegally in the country and living in Florida. The lawmakers want their colleagues to vote on the measures in next week's special session to discuss offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Fundamentally, the problems we are facing are a failure of the federal bureaucracy. There should be no greater purpose to our federal government than to protect and secure the sovereign borders of this nation." said Senator Dockery in a prepared statement. "Yet, we see that every border and port of entry is vulnerable," Dockery said.

There are indications that the scope of the Legislature’s Special Session next week will be expanded to deal with additional issues of great importance to Floridians, and we are calling for action and attention to be paid to the illegal immigration issue which is affecting our great state.

Rep. Ambler added the state must, "restrict illegal immigration so that we are able to ensure the safety and security of all Floridians in the future.