Florida lawmakers work to settle DeSantis rift as they open a new session on immigration
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers on Tuesday took a major step toward settling a weekslong standoff between term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis and fellow Republicans who control the Statehouse, as they gaveled in another special session on immigration aimed at leveraging state and local resources to carry out President Donald Trump ‘s mass deportation agenda.
DeSantis, who is widely expected to have presidential aspirations in 2028, has been locked in an unusual political tussle with Trump’s allies in the Legislature, who have been pushing back on bills that could give the lame duck governor an edge on the president’s signature issue.
But after days of jockeying and negotiations, lawmakers announced a package of compromise bills Monday that includes input from DeSantis and other state officials, as well as the White House.
Here’s what to know about Florida’s special session on immigration, which began Tuesday.
What’s behind the statehouse showdown
DeSantis is used to getting his way in Tallahassee. But after daring to challenge Trump for his party’s nomination, the governor is losing his grip on the Statehouse. When he ordered lawmakers to Tallahassee for a special session on immigration last month, they tossed out his ideas and gaveled in their own session — advancing a proposal that would have ceded much of DeSantis’ power on immigration to the state’s agriculture commissioner.
DeSantis blasted the provision as putting the “fox in charge of the hen house”, implying farmers want to continue to hire immigrants who are in the country illegally. DeSantis pledged to veto the legislation, which he labeled as “weak”, and back Republican primary challenges against lawmakers who supported it. But after legislators brokered a compromise with input from DeSantis and the Trump administration, the governor applauded the new package as an “aggressive bill that we can stand fully behind.”
What’s in the bills
The package of bills lawmakers offered this week includes many of their previous proposals, with the overall goal of boosting state and local participation in the federal government’s work to arrest, detain and deport people in the country without legal authorization.
A notable change in the compromise legislation includes doing away with the provision that would have created a new role of chief immigration officer to be held by the state’s agriculture commissioner — an idea DeSantis vehemently opposed. Instead, the measure would create a new state board of immigration enforcement, made up of the governor, the ag commissioner and the other two members of Florida’s Cabinet.
The new package also includes proposals that DeSantis had pushed lawmakers to include, such as making it a state crime to enter Florida without legal authorization. Another DeSantis-backed measure would require pretrial detention for people in the country without legal authorization who are charged with forcible felonies.
Like the previous measure, the compromise bill would increase criminal penalties for immigrants without legal authorization who commit crimes and mandate the death penalty for those convicted of capital offenses. The measure would also repeal a state law allowing Florida students who don’t have legal immigration status to qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
How much would this cost?
The legislation carries a $298 million price tag — significantly less than the $515 million slated for the previous proposal. The package includes funding for more than 80 new positions related to immigration enforcement, as well as grants for local governments to cover expenses like new equipment and staff training, bonuses for officers who help carry out federal enforcement, and reimbursement for leasing detention facilities to the federal government.
Notably, the compromise bill does away with a controversial program created under DeSantis that used millions in taxpayer funds to transport migrants out of the state. The governor’s allies had pushed for $350 million to expand the state-led program. Instead, lawmakers are proposing a retooled version of the program that would require federal officials to “specifically request assistance” for the state to transport migrants, “consistent with federal law.”
What’s at stake politically
The ongoing debate has exposed a major rift between DeSantis and many of the state’s GOP legislators — and demonstrated lawmakers’ willingness to go toe-to-toe with the powerful governor who previously wielded influence over the Legislature like no other governor in the state’s recent history.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Senate President Ben Albritton downplayed the tension between the lawmakers and the governor, saying he doesn’t expect it to affect the regular session that begins March 4.
“No, I don’t believe there’s going to be carryover,” Albritton said. “We’ve worked our way through that.”
Meanwhile in the House, lawmakers are moving ahead with a process to consider voting to override DeSantis’ budget vetoes from last year — a constitutional flex that Florida lawmakers haven’t exercised in 15 years that underscores their willingness to challenge and potentially overpower the governor.
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
By KATE PAYNE
Associated Press/Report for America
