Delayed: Florida's immigration plans
A power struggle is brewing.
January 29, 2025
Good morning ☀️
Florida passed a new immigration bill last night, swiftly falling in line to support Trump's hostile mass deportation efforts.
103 out of 149 Florida lawmakers voted in favor of the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act, which:
Ends in-state tuition for undocumented students;
Offers extra funds to local police departments supporting ICE deportation activities, and;
Stiffens penalties on crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, including requiring the death penalty if they are convicted of a capital offense.
But the bill is in limbo.
Gov. DeSantis threatened to veto the bill, partially because it stripped immigration enforcement power from his office and gave it to Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
This move signals a power struggle brewing between DeSantis and the Republican leaders of the Florida Legislature, who canceled the special legislative session called by the governor before holding their own.
After years of faithful commitment, Florida Republicans are defying DeSantis’ orders — but not Trump’s. Florida Republicans fully intend to support Trump’s agenda, including mass deportation. House Speaker Daniel Perez called the TRUMP Act a “game changer,” and said it was crafted with input from Trump and his administration.
The party in-fighting may be fun to witness, but we can’t get distracted.
Soon, Florida will be under new rules. Invasive ones that will destabilize families, undercut the economy, and cloud Florida’s once bright future. And while we can try to derail and delay these pending rules, we can’t block them. Democrats don’t have the power due to the Republican’s supermajority in the legislature.
Midterms and the Governor’s race are right around the corner — that’s what we need to focus on. And we must use this moment to build momentum and excitement (yes, excitement) about turning our State around.
Let’s start by hosting rallies, parties, and townhalls. We need to proactively re-engage the Democratic base now, and not wait until right before the election.
Talk soon,
Shelby