Florida legislators have approved a sweeping immigration bill that directly challenges Governor Ron DeSantis, setting the stage for a potential veto battle and highlighting the growing influence of former President Donald Trump on the state’s political landscape.
The bill, officially titled the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act, was passed Tuesday night with a vote of 21 to 16 in the Senate and 82 to 30 in the House of Representatives.
The bill reflects Trump’s immigration priorities, including stricter enforcement measures and the elimination of tuition fees for undocumented students, among other provisions, according to CBS Miami.
The adoption of the bill marks an unusual power struggle within Florida’s Republican leadership. Speaker of the House Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton rejected DeSantis’ immigration proposal in favor of their own version, which aligns more closely with Trump’s policies.
“In the state of Florida, we stand with President Trump and support his mission to make America safer and more secure!” Perez and Albritton said in a joint statement.
DeSantis, who has voiced his opposition to the measure, criticized it as insufficiently strict. “Weak, weak, weak,” the governor posted on social media, claiming that the bill lacked adequate enforcement tools.
His comments drew sharp criticism from some Republican lawmakers who remain staunch Trump supporters. “The voters of Florida overwhelmingly elected a Republican-majority legislature to support the policies of @realDonaldTrump, not those of a lame-duck governor seeking political relevance,” said Juan Carlos Porras, R-Miami, on X (formerly Twitter).
Key Provisions of the TRUMP Act
The bill introduces several major policy changes, including:
- The elimination of tuition fees for undocumented students.
- The allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars to law enforcement to support Trump’s immigration policies.
- The imposition of the death penalty for undocumented immigrants convicted of first-degree murder.
- The transfer of control over state immigration law enforcement to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, a Trump ally and potential gubernatorial candidate in 2026.
Simpson, a long-time critic of DeSantis, presented this move as a reaffirmation of his loyalty to Trump’s agenda. “I have worked from day one to support President Trump and his immigration policies. I am not the one who opposed and ran against President Trump,” Simpson said on Tuesday.
DeSantis’ press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, quickly dismissed Simpson’s claim, calling it a “complete lie.”
The bill is now headed to DeSantis’ desk, where he is expected to veto it. If he does, he could call the legislature into another special session, further deepening divisions within the state’s GOP. While Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers, overriding a veto would likely require support from some Senate Democrats.
The political fallout from this battle could have lasting consequences. With Simpson and other Trump allies positioning themselves for leadership roles, Florida’s Republican Party appears to be moving closer to Trump’s orbit, potentially sidelining DeSantis as he grapples with waning influence in the state.
The immigration policy battle may be just the beginning of a larger power struggle that will shape Florida’s political future for years to come.
Source: CBS Miami
