Undocumented immigrants in Florida will no longer have to worry about the implementation of Governor Ron DeSantis’s draconian immigration plan.
The far-right Republican leader will not be able to prevent immigrants from sending money to their families abroad. DeSantis will not have his own border czar, nor will he have the power to harass undocumented immigrants.
Contrary to the proposals initially supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, undocumented immigrants will not be blocked from sending money to their relatives, nor subjected to a state-led mass deportation program.
According to CBS Miami, DeSantis did not secure the strictest immigration measures he had hoped for. The new law does not include the creation of an “immigration czar” who would have overseen a $350 million state-funded deportation program.
Furthermore, any attempt to ban money transfers from undocumented immigrants to their families abroad has been abandoned.
DeSantis’s initial plan faced strong opposition from Florida’s Republican legislators, particularly House Speaker Danny Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton. Despite pressure from the governor—including public attacks and smear campaigns—the final version of the law does not reflect the harshest measures he had envisioned.
CBS Miami notes that DeSantis was forced to compromise, marking a setback for a politician who has advocated for a hardline approach to immigration. He ultimately had to swallow his pride and sit down with lawmakers to pass a more balanced and lenient immigration law, recognizing the significant economic role immigrants play in Florida.
Moreover, the state government will not be able to target immigrants through a detention and deportation program directly managed by the governor.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who had previously been criticized by DeSantis, will now play a key role in implementing the new law through a State Immigration Law Enforcement Council—despite severe criticism from DeSantis, who seeks to position himself as the de facto heir of the far-right MAGA movement.
This legislative development in Florida means that undocumented immigrants will not have to fear restrictions on their ability to send money to their families or worry about an expanded deportation program.
As CBS Miami reports, this political episode highlights a loss of influence for Governor DeSantis within his own party’s legislature.