Gov. Ron DeSantis spent last Friday morning touring an agreement that allows the Florida Highway Patrol to interrogate and arrest people over their immigration status, but migrants and members of the community came together in Lakeland that night to say they won’t take it lying down.

With “MAGA” shirts declaring “Mexicans Ain’t Going Anywhere,” protesters spent the sunset hour standing up for their neighbors and saying “Hate never made American great.”

Bending the knee to the president who trashed him on the campaign trail last fall, DeSantis, at his Friday press conference, said that Florida State Troopers would need to receive training for an undisclosed amount of time before exercising their new authority.

Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Protesters in Wimauma, Florida on Feb. 8, 2025. Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Protesters in Lakeland, Florida on Feb. 7, 2025, Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Protestors in Lakeland, Florida on Feb. 7, 2025, Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...

Dave Decker is a songwriter and photographer living in Tampa Bay.