Florida Republican legislative leaders on Monday forcefully rejected Gov. Ron DeSantis’ criticism of their immigration bill, accusing him of misrepresenting their work and dismissing his claims as false.
Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez, both Republicans, issued a statement on Monday evening pushing back on DeSantis’ assertion that the legislation fails to meaningfully address illegal immigration, calling his portrayal of the bill “completely untrue.”
“The Governor did not read President Trump’s Executive Orders before calling a special session,” the senators said in their joint statement. “As a matter of fact, they didn’t exist. And, it would appear he didn’t read SB2B/HB 1B before issuing a response on social media. He leveled serious and inappropriate insults at his fellow Cabinet Officer, local law enforcement officers, and our agricultural community.”
The response from legislative leaders came after DeSantis, in a video statement and a post on X, accused the Legislature of weakening his immigration proposals and ceding enforcement authority to the Department of Agriculture as a ploy to strengthen corporate interest. The governor referred to the bill as a “bait-and-switch tactic” and claimed that it would “actively inhibit some of the things we’re already doing” to crack down on illegal immigration.
DeSantis has argued that the legislation fails to mandate cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. He said it was “not enough to just say we’re not a sanctuary state” and that local governments must be required to work with federal immigration enforcement. Legislative leaders disputed this claim, saying their bill expands existing requirements and strengthens enforcement efforts.
“I think it was more a sop to folks who want cheap labor,” DeSantis said. “They bizarrely strip immigration enforcement power from the governor and give it to the Commissioner of Agriculture. But agriculture has not exactly been known for immigration enforcement. So it’s almost like the fox guarding the hen house”
The bill, the “Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy‘ (TRUMP) bill, was introduced on Monday morning by Sens. Joe Gruters and Randy Fine and consolidates immigration enforcement under the state’s Department of Agriculture, an agency led by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. The proposed legislation would additioanlly increase funding for law enforcement and detention facilities, strengthen collaboration between local and federal immigration agencies, and repeal in-state tuition for undocumented students—a policy enacted in 2014 under then-Gov. Rick Scott.
Albritton and Perez dismissed DeSantis’ concerns, saying that Simpson’s office already has law enforcement capabilities and that the bill does not strip the governor of his emergency powers. They said DeSantis’ claim that the bill “unconstitutionally removes authority to enforce the law from the governor” was incorrect.
“This statement is completely untrue, and the governor knows that,” they said. “Under our bill, the governor will maintain all of his emergency powers,” noting that the Florida Department of Agriculture has a law enforcement division with 200 sworn officers who already work with local law enforcement agencies on border security.
DeSantis also criticized the bill for failing to make it a crime for an undocumented immigrant to register to vote, a measure he has advocated for years. He said it was “very disappointing” that legislative leaders did not include the provision. Beyond immigration policy, the dispute represents a dynamic shift in Tallahassee’s political dynamics. The Legislature, which has largely supported DeSantis’ agenda over the past five years, has begun to assert itself more forcefully. On top of attempting to strip DeSantis of his immigration authority, lawmakers voted on Monday to override DeSantis’ veto of more than $56 million in funding for legislative operations, the first veto override of his tenure.
In their statement, Albritton and Perez appeared to take aim at DeSantis’ approach to governing, suggesting that the Legislature would not be swayed by political theatrics.
“The Legislature will not act in a disingenuous or dishonorable way by attacking anyone, especially our law enforcement,” they said. “Unlike others, the Legislature is not interested in misleading or attacking Floridians, especially Florida law enforcement.”
Gruters also took to social media in support of his filed legislation, posting a picture of him and President Donald Trump.
“Look forward to supporting and leading the effort to pass President [Donald Trump]’s agenda here in Florida by ensuring we have more badges, more beds to hold illegal aliens, and a laser on us on catching bad guys-criminals who violate our laws!” Gruters said.
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