Gov. DeSantis expects students from elite colleges will come to Florida to escape discrimination

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may have left the state to pursue two Ivy League degrees as a student, but he thinks traffic will go the other way in the wake of anti-Israel protests on campuses, with Jewish students leading the way.

“I announced in January that we would be waiving our transfer rules because usually you have to be in another university for a certain period of time. We’re going to be waiving that for students who are being discriminated against. Largely right now, that’s Jewish students in this country given what’s going on,” DeSantis said in Naples on Tuesday.

“I think you’re going to see some of these students and some of these schools to say, you know what, the hell with it, why would I want to put myself through that and be targeted by these rage mobs on campus? I can come to Florida and actually know that I can study in a good environment (and be) treated with respect. So I think you’re going to start to see a lot of people take us up on that offer,” DeSantis added.

Earlier this year, DeSantis trumpeted the rule change.

“With leaders of so-called elite universities enabling antisemitic activities, rather than protecting their students from threats and harassment, it is understandable that many Jewish students are looking for alternatives and looking to Florida … We want to again make it clear that Jewish students are welcome to live and learn in Florida where they will be respected and not persecuted due to their faith,” he said.

Students from Columbia, Yale, George Washington, and other institutions where protests have imperiled Jewish students and obstructed the normal course of business have options in Florida, including waiving credit hour requirements and application date deadlines that would normally apply, per the Executive Order issued in January.