In an unexpected turn, Florida Republicans openly challenged Gov. Ron DeSantis by rejecting his proposed immigration measures and introducing their comprehensive immigration bill during a special legislative session on Monday. This rare confrontation underscores shifting power dynamics within Florida’s GOP as the governor’s influence wanes.
DeSantis called for the special session to enforce tougher measures where Florida would also align with the agenda of former President Donald Trump on immigration. Among his proposals were to punish law enforcement officers who fail to uphold immigration laws and a remittance database. However, legislators rubbished these proposals as unconstitutional and impractical.
Instead, lawmakers introduced their own immigration bill, dubbed the “Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act,” or TRUMP Act, indicating loyalty to Trump’s policies over DeSantis’ agenda. The bill takes some of DeSantis’ ideas but departs in key areas, including the delegation of immigration enforcement authority to the state agriculture commissioner, which the governor had deemed ineffective.
DeSantis described the bill proposed by lawmakers as “substantially weaker,” accusing them of playing politics and undermining his work. In a video posted to social media, the governor called the proposed legislation a “bait-and-switch tactic” that does not help solve the immigration problems Floridians face.
Defending their proposal, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner said it strengthens Trump’s legacy on immigration while at the same time adhering to the Constitution. The two dismissed DeSantis’ words as being disrespectful to law enforcement and agricultural communities.
This standoff comes as DeSantis’s once-formidable grip on the Republican-controlled Legislature appears to be loosening. The governor, who has relied heavily on the Legislature to propel his conservative agenda and national profile, now faces increasing resistance as lawmakers assert their independence.
In another act of defiance, lawmakers recently overturned DeSantis’ vetoes of $57 million in budget allocations, the first such override since the administration of former Gov. Charlie Crist. This move signals the Legislature’s readiness to challenge the governor when needed.
This battle indicates the new development of the state’s political map: The Florida House, and particularly its Republicans, insist on exercising a truly independent legislative power. Given DeSantis’ nearing term’s end, the rivalry for control between the house and the executive to reorder the politics in the Sunshine State.
