Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing forward a new law that expands how Florida defines and responds to perceived security threats, with college campuses now directly in the crosshairs.
The governor signed legislation Monday that allows state officials to designate certain groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations while requiring public universities to expel students who support them. The measure gives a top official at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement the authority to issue designations, pending approval from the governor and members of the Florida Cabinet.
Once a group receives that label, the impact is immediate and far-reaching. Organizations can be dissolved and cut off from any state funding, including money distributed through school districts or public agencies. At the same time, universities must report expelled international students to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, tying the policy directly to immigration enforcement.
“So this will help the state of Florida protect you. It’ll help us protect your tax dollars,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Tampa. “It’ll help us protect things that should not be happening in the United States of America, but certainly shouldn’t be happening in the free state of Florida.”
The law builds on actions DeSantis took last December, when he designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. That move is currently tied up in court after a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement.
Critics, especially free speech advocates, say the language of the new law leaves too much room for interpretation. PEN America warned it could extend beyond security concerns and affect academic discussions or student activism. “The new law could chill education at every level,” said William Johnson, the group’s Florida director. “The implications are fraught.”
As the policy rolls out, legal challenges and national attention are expected to follow.
