Florida bill would allow military force to keep out refugees

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's governor would be able to use military force to keep out immigrants or refugees from certain parts of the world under a bill passed by a House committee on Wednesday.

The "Prevention of Acts of War" bill would let the governor designate so-called restricted people — those he determines are from countries where "invaders" live or train in preparation for an attack in the United States. That includes people coming to the United States from areas near those countries.

The bill — which faces a number of hurdles, including little demonstrated interest from the Senate — would prohibit any state or local government employee or any person receiving state assistance of any kind, including Medicare, from helping certain immigrants or refugees entering or resettling in Florida unless the immigrants were born in the Western Hemisphere.