Republicans in Tallahassee clash with Gov. DeSantis over immigration bill | FOX 51 Gainesville

Republicans in Tallahassee clash with Gov. DeSantis over immigration bill

Republicans in the Florida Legislature are in a battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis.

 Governor calls lawmakers' response a ‘bait and switch’

The backstory:

The Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act, also known as the TRUMP Act, passed Tuesday night in a special session called by DeSantis. The Republican governor called the immigration bill "weak" when he announced his intention to veto the legislation. 

The bill sends $500 million toward immigration enforcement and names Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson the chief enforcement officer. It also strips in-state tuition rates from undocumented students at public colleges and universities.

The bill does not give the governor the power to appoint an enforcement officer as he had proposed, and it does not give law enforcement the power to jail other law enforcement officers who do not follow the law.

DeSantis opposes the bill, calling it weak and vowing to veto it. Republican lawmakers say the bill is the most conservative immigration policy in state history but does not grant DeSantis the enforcement powers he wanted.

What they're saying:

Republican State Senator Randy Fine said the special session showed the governor was losing some of his power.

"We gaveled out of his special session and started our own," said Fine, who backed the bill. "We overrode two of his vetoes. I mean, yes, he's not calling the shots anymore."

The governor said it doesn't go far enough.

"[The legislature] decided to do a bill that not only won't work... That actually is weaker than what we have today, DeSantis said."

DeSantis spoke about the bill at two round tables Wednesday.

"It's not about me," DeSantis said. "I'm where I've always been. They're deviating."

"Threatening others to get your way isn’t leadership," said Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez. "It’s immaturity. The people of our state deserve better."

"I think we said we're tired of his stunts," Fine said. "To call a special session for five days to discuss four topics and not have a single bill on any of them showed it wasn't ever serious."

The battle between the governor and Republicans in the legislature is something an analyst said may go multiple rounds.

"DeSantis has very little to lose and at this point his opponents have relatively little inclination to give him anything, so we could see this going on for a long time," said UCF Political Science Professor John Hanley.

The governor called the bill a bait and switch. The speaker of the house said it puts President Donald Trump in "full control."

A veto override could be an option for the legislature, but it would be difficult because the bill did not pass the senate with a veto-proof majority.

Big picture view:

The TRUMP Act reflects broader Republican efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement, aligning with former President Donald Trump’s policies.  The battle between DeSantis and the legislature could signal internal divisions within the GOP in Florida, political analysts suggest.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Legislature, State Sen. Randy Fine, and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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