Florida Governor Ron DeSantis calls a special legislative session to discuss a series of proposals to help implement President Donald TrumpThe immigration crackdown will begin on Monday.
However, it was unclear whether any measures would be considered amid opposition from top Republican lawmakers, who called the meeting “premature.”
DeSantis wants Lawmakers will pass bills supporting a series of immigration and border executive orders the president has signed since taking office last Monday, as well as Trump’s plan to mass deport illegal immigrants.
‘Thank you, Ron’ – Trump praises DeSantis’ immigration push in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) speaks as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (right) speaks before President-elect Donald Trump in Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 Manor listens to speeches before a meeting with the Republican governor of Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Governor wants to enforce counties in florida Cities participate in a federal eviction program and want the power to suspend officers who don’t comply. He also proposed making illegal entry a national crime and requiring people to show identification and immigration status before sending money home.
Trump administration takes swift action on immigration enforcement
“We have to make sure we work together with the Trump administration,” DeSantis stressed during an interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” last week.
He added that the special legislative session would help “further the mission of the Trump administration.”
Florida State Capitol, as seen in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wohlheiser/Getty Images)
Florida lawmakers filed eleven bills on the eve of the special session. They include measures to create a state immigration czar and allow governors to activate the National and State Guards Immigration enforcement.
Under the Florida Constitution, lawmakers are obligated to appear at the Capitol in Tallahassee if the governor calls for a special session. However, top Republicans in the state House and Senate said that while they support Trump’s immigration efforts, a special session is not necessary because the regular legislative session is scheduled for early March.
“It’s not premature,” DeSantis told Fox News. “We have waited four years for a partner in Washington, D.C., on this issue. We have a sense of urgency. We have to get the job done. No more foot-dragging.”
DeSantis, who vigorously and unsuccessfully challenged Trump in the 2024 primary for the Republican presidential nomination, received praise from the then-president-elect earlier this month.
“Thanks Ron, hope other governors will follow suit!” Trump wrote in a social media post after DeSantis announced the special session.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (center) speaks during a campaign event in Hampton, New Hampshire, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
However, resistance from Republican state lawmakers to calling a special session is a dramatic turn for DeSantis, who has long enjoyed outsized influence over the Florida Legislature, especially if he is reelected in 2022 by nearly 20 percentage points. after.
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After failing to run for the 2024 White House, the lame-duck governor no longer appears to have the influence with lawmakers that he once enjoyed.
DeSantis pushed back against opponents of his plan, warning that any lawmakers who stand in his way during the special session will pay a political price.
