TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The State of Florida will purchase advertising space on Chicago-area billboards, aiming to recruit law enforcement.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the ad campaign in a news release Wednesday, touting his so-called “law and order” policies and a $5,000 signing bonus offered to police recruits from out-of-state.

As for why Illinois officers should move down south, DeSantis cited their state’s “soaring” crime rates, changes to its cash bail system, and a law that allows those covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to become police officers.

The 600,000 DACA recipients, referred to as “Dreamers,” were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and are shielded from deportation as they sit in legal limbo. They do not have a clear path to citizenship under federal law and Congress has failed to pass legislation addressing their immigration status since the program was enacted in 2012.

The average DACA recipient arrived in the U.S. at seven years old, according to the National Immigration Forum, and has lived here for over 20 years. Some have claimed to have no connections or family members to return to in their native countries if they were deported.

On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled the DACA program is unlawful for the second time in its history. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen expressed sympathy to recipients’ predicament and said the blame for the program’s ongoing legal concerns “lies with the legislature.”

In the news release, DeSantis also touted a Florida crime bill cracking down on “disastrous bail reforms,” noting that a recent Illinois law eliminated the state’s cash bail system as a condition of pretrial release. It goes into effect next week.

“Other states deputize non-citizens, enact policies that favor criminals over victims, and work to overtly or covertly defund the police, but not in Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement. “I look forward to welcoming the Illinois men and women in blue to the law-and-order state.”

Florida offers a $5,000 signing bonus for law enforcement relocating from another state. in addition, Florida recently established a housing program for police, firefighters and military members that assists with down payment and closing costs.

“Florida strongly supports law enforcement and has consistently enacted commonsense criminal justice policies to keep our communities safe,” DeSantis said. “We stand behind our citizen officers, and we give them the tools to succeed professionally and personally.”

Over 2,700 police recruits have relocated to Florida since the 2022 crime bill, according to the release. “More than 37” moved from Illinois.