DeSantis continues to criticize immigration bill from by Florida Legislature, hopes stronger bill will be passed

DESTIN, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday continued to blast an immigration bill passed by the Florida Legislature this week and expressed frustration over politicians' inaction and the need for strong border policies.

DeSantis said once he receives the “Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act” he plans to veto it.

But DeSantis said he’s hopeful Florida legislators will come together and eventually pass a stronger bill that he supports.

Now the question is whether the Republican-dominated legislature can drum up enough support to override the veto, after some GOP lawmakers voted against the measure. Rep. John Temple wrote on X that he regretted his yes vote the previous evening. He said he won’t support his Republican colleagues in overriding the veto, if DeSantis does veto it. Republicans appear to need to win over some Senate Democrats in order to override, which could expose GOP members to even more attacks from the right.

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The bill passed by the legislature allocates half a billion dollars to beefing up state and local coordination with federal law enforcement. It would mean enhanced criminal penalties for immigrants without legal permission who commit crimes in the U.S.

In a challenge to the term-limited governor who has leveraged his executive power like no other Florida leader in recent memory, the bill cedes DeSantis’ oversight authority on immigration procedures and grants it to the state’s agriculture commissioner. DeSantis has lambasted the move as putting the “fox in charge of the hen house” and has railed against the bill and its supporters on cable news and social media.

After DeSantis took to TV news and social media, Republican leaders said they worked with the Trump administration to amend the bill, dubbed the TRUMP Act, to help marshal state and local resources to carry out the president’s agenda. However, they resisted adding some of the governor’s priorities, like creating a legal presumption that people in the country illegally are a flight risk.

Legislators deliberated on the 80-plus page bill for hours Tuesday, which includes more than $500 million in funding to hire new officers, equip and train local agencies, and reimburse counties for leasing detention space to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

DeSantis has been criticizing the legislation since it was announced by House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton — which they did in a striking act of defiance by dismissing the governor’s call for a special session and gaveling in their own.

On Monday, Albritton and Perez emphasized that they want to address the immigration crisis but did not agree with the governor’s proposals to criminally charge local police officers who did not comply with state and federal immigration orders.

DeSantis immigration-related proposals include:

• Require law enforcement (municipal, county and state levels) to have maximum participation in any programs to assist the federal government with the enforcement of immigration laws
• Enact criminal penalties for illegal entry under state law
• Appoint a state immigration officer to oversee coordination with federal authorities and Florida’s existing transport and deportation program
• Expand authorities for local and state officials to detain and deport people who entered the country illegally
• Broaden the definition of gang-related activities to include “dangerous” groups of undocumented migrants
• Require voter registration affirmation of U.S. citizenship and Florida residency
• Increase penalties for undocumented migrants who commit voter fraud or provide false voter registration information
• Have money transfer companies impose an ID verification for foreign remittances
• Establish a “rebuttable presumption” that people who enter the country illegally are “flight risks” and deny bail if accused of a crime