TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday promised to veto the immigration invoice passed by state lawmakers when it reaches his desk.
In a post on X, DeSantis mentioned it “fails to honor our guarantees to voters, fails to satisfy the second, and would truly weaken state immigration enforcement.”
“The veto pen is prepared,” DeSantis wrote.
The invoice, “Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act,” cleared each chambers of the Florida Legislature on Tuesday. From there, the destiny of the invoice is basically in DeSantis’ palms.
At a roundtable addressing the immigration invoice on Wednesday, DeSantis described it as “weaker” than the laws proposed by his allies, stating the adjustments below the TRUMP Act “will not work.”
“Voters listed below are trying on the particulars on this. They need to resolve the issue. They know these politicians have been giving lip service to voters for years. Then, after they have the chance to do one thing, they do half-baked measures and do not get the job executed,” DeSantis mentioned.
DeSantis’ intent to veto the invoice comes amid an influence wrestle with the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature. On Monday, lawmakers quickly ended the special session referred to as by DeSantis in favor of their very own, the place they proposed the TRUMP Act.
The invoice, which was shepherded by Home Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton, allocates half a billion {dollars} to beefing up state and native coordination with federal legislation enforcement. It additionally would have meant enhanced felony penalties for immigrants with out authorized permission who commit crimes within the U.S.
“The truth is, we’re not going to just accept weak insurance policies,” DeSantis mentioned.
The governor took to social media and tv appearances to criticize the invoice, which strips him of a lot of his immigration authority. It transfers that energy to a political rival, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who’s prone to run for governor subsequent 12 months.
“To start with, they do not have the sources essential to do that. Now they’re saying they’ll give some huge cash, create a brand new paperwork. It is not going to work,” DeSantis mentioned. “Clearly, the Commissioner of Agriculture, and given how folks have come and labored illegally in that business, is just like the fox guarding the hen home.”
If DeSantis vetoes the invoice, it nonetheless has an opportunity to grow to be legislation. A two-thirds majority in each the Home and the Senate could override his veto.
The invoice cleared the Home with a supermajority, however Albritton faces a problem in his chamber. He should persuade three of the six Republicans who voted towards the invoice – together with religious DeSantis allies – and two Democrats to throw their help behind it.
Democrats had criticized the invoice course of as rushed and a few of its provisions merciless, particularly rolling again in-state tuition charges for immigrants within the nation illegally who’re presently enrolled at school. The legislation benefitted about 6,500 college students in Florida in the course of the 2023-2024 fiscal 12 months and was signed into legislation by then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2014.
Democrats had additionally pushed to guard Florida’s colleges and locations of worship from potential raids or searches, in mild of the invoice’s requirement that every one authorities staff “cooperate to the fullest extent doable” with federal immigration enforcement.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
