Ron DeSantis and Florida Policy

At an April 7, 2026 bill-signing event in Tampa, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called on the legislature to explicitly ban marriages between first cousins, saying Florida is "behind" other red states and claiming such unions feed into what he called "stealth jihad" from "other cultures." Florida currently bans marriage among closer relatives but not first cousins; a 2025 bill (HB 733) to close that gap failed, and DeSantis has been hinting on X that he wants the measure revived, possibly even in a special session. Supporters of a ban cite genetic-disorder risks, while critics frame it as a matter of personal liberty and warn that the governor’s rhetoric targets Muslim and immigrant communities by tying a family-law change to terrorism and immigration. DeSantis made the comments while signing a separate law empowering Florida’s chief of domestic security, the governor and cabinet to designate organizations they deem extremist as "terrorist organizations" and expel students who support them, part of a broader push to "stop importing people that reject the values of this country." His remarks are already drawing sharp online reaction, with civil-liberties advocates and Muslim groups warning of culture-war legislation dressed up as counterterrorism and conservatives touting Florida as a model for tightening both marriage and immigration rules.