TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Rep. Berny Jacques warned that fraud schemes like these uncovered in Minnesota may threaten any state, together with Florida, and pledged to push laws cracking down on immigration-related abuses through the upcoming legislative session.
Throughout a interview Tuesday on Florida’s Voice Radio with Drew Steele, Jacques, a Republican representing District 59 within the Tampa space, praised citizen journalist Nick Shirley for exposing what he known as widespread fraud in Minnesota involving Somali immigrants and federal funds. Jacques described Shirley’s work as “the Lord’s work” and urged safety for such investigators.
“Issues like this fraud that we’re seeing in Minnesota can occur wherever, and it’s as much as us as policymakers to guarantee that that by no means occurs right here within the state of Florida,” Jacques stated. “I’m dedicated to creating certain that’s not the case so we might be vigilant towards fraud all day, every single day.”
Jacques contrasted Florida’s strategy with Minnesota’s, crediting Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican supermajority within the Legislature for respecting the rule of regulation and performing as a deterrent to fraudsters.
“We crack down on it. After we do suspect one thing is going on, we examine and we glance into it,” he stated. “And whenever you do this, you truly ship a robust message. It’s a deterrent message that don’t even strive it right here within the state of Florida, as a result of you understand you’ll be pursued.”
With the legislative session set to start Jan. 13, Jacques highlighted his priorities, together with a invoice geared toward marriage fraud in immigration instances. Home Invoice 485, co-sponsored with Democratic Rep. Kimberly Daniels of Jacksonville, would classify marriage fraud as grounds for a protecting injunction towards home abusers. If granted, the injunction would set off a notification inside 24 hours to the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
“A whole lot of people are getting entry into our nation by fraudulently, you understand, placing marriages on the market that aren’t actual marriages, after which they find yourself being home abusers and so forth,” Jacques stated.
Jacques, first elected in 2022, has centered on conservative priorities comparable to border safety and financial accountability. The interview comes amid nationwide debates over immigration enforcement and election integrity heading into the brand new yr.
WATCH: “We CANNOT relaxation on our laurels!” Rep. @BernyJacques describes the Minnesota Somali FRAUD scandal as a WAKE-UP CALL for policymakers to forestall this from occurring in different states pic.twitter.com/zkVHZG7X8q
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) December 30, 2025
