The Florida Legislature will convene a special session on Tuesday to address immigration enforcement after Republican leaders and Governor Ron DeSantis reached an agreement, ending a weeks-long public dispute. The session, announced late Monday, aims to strengthen Florida’s stance on illegal immigration and align with federal efforts to address the ongoing border crisis.
Florida Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez issued a joint proclamation calling for the special session, while Governor DeSantis took to social media to praise the move.
In a video posted on X, DeSantis stated, “I’m happy to see the Florida legislature returning to special session and considering a package of legislation that, if enacted, will make Florida the strongest in the country for combating illegal immigration and for assisting the Trump Administration in fulfilling the mandate it has to end the illegal immigration crisis once and for all.”
The proposed legislation, outlined in a summary released by the Florida Legislature, includes several sweeping measures designed to crack down on illegal immigration and bolster enforcement efforts. Key provisions include:
- State Immigration Enforcement Council: The creation of a council consisting of four sheriffs and four police chiefs. The sheriffs will be appointed by the House speaker and Senate president, while the police chiefs will be appointed by the governor, attorney general, chief financial officer, and agriculture commissioner.
- Stronger Penalties for Crimes: Enhanced penalties for illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, including a mandatory death penalty for undocumented immigrants who commit murder or child rape.
- State-Level Immigration Crimes: Establishing state-level crimes for illegally entering or re-entering Florida.
- Funding for Law Enforcement: Allocating $250 million in grants to support law enforcement agencies in immigration-related efforts.
- Voting Restrictions: Imposing felony charges on illegal immigrants who vote and on anyone who assists them in voting.
- ICE Reporting Requirements: Mandating that county jails report inmates’ immigration status to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- In-State Tuition Changes: Ending in-state tuition for students who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents.
- Law Enforcement Incentives: Creating incentives for Floridians to join law enforcement agencies.
- Federal Partnership: Solidifying the state’s partnership with the federal government on immigration enforcement.
The push for stricter immigration measures has been a contentious issue in Tallahassee. The debate intensified in January when Governor DeSantis called for a special session, arguing that Florida could not wait until the regular legislative session in March to address what he described as an immigration “crisis.” However, legislative leaders initially resisted, with Albritton and Perez calling the move “premature.”
Instead, lawmakers convened their own session on January 27 and passed the TRUMP Act (Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Immigration Policy). DeSantis, however, criticized the bill as “substantially weaker” than his proposals and opposed the appointment of Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson as the state’s chief immigration officer.
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The special session, set to begin Tuesday, marks a significant step toward resolving the dispute between the governor and legislative leaders.
If passed, the proposed measures would position Florida as one of the toughest states on illegal immigration, aligning closely with the policies of the Trump administration.
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