DeSantis faces GOP blowback after call for immigration special session
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Gov. Ron DeSantis faced forceful pushback from legislative leaders in his own party after calling for a special session to boost President-elect Trump's planned crackdown on undocumented immigration.
Why it matters: DeSantis has rarely faced public resistance from GOP lawmakers during his tenure. Monday's defiant response could signal a less compliant Legislature as he enters his final two years as governor.
Driving the news: Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez called the Jan. 27 special session "premature," and noted that DeSantis didn't offer "any actual bill language" for lawmakers to consider.
- The leaders made clear that they are "strong supporters" of Trump when it comes to immigration but argued it is "completely irresponsible to get out ahead" of the president-elect.
- State senators and representatives tell Axios the governor's announcement blindsided them, with lawmakers from both parties calling the move unnecessary and wasteful.
Catch up quick: DeSantis vowed that Florida would aid Trump's deportation program and threatened to suspend local sheriffs or state attorneys who refuse to enforce federal immigration law.
- "I know that there's a lot of rank-and-file members of both the House and Senate that are champing at the bit to be able to weigh in," he added.
- DeSantis on Monday urged lawmakers to end in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, and State Sen. Randy Fine (R-Melbourne Beach) refiled a bill for the special session that would do so.
The big picture: Should DeSantis succeed, Florida would become even more inhospitable to undocumented immigrants, who already face restrictions for transportation, health care and work.
The intrigue: Fine tells Axios that he plans to draft a bill to bar undocumented immigrants from universities in the state that are "oversubscribed," with more applicants than seats.
- Fine cited the University of Florida as an example. Other states, like Georgia, also bar undocumented students from universities that do not admit all academically qualified applicants.
- Fine says he also wants to charge undocumented parents who bring undocumented children to Florida with human trafficking.
What they're saying: State Sen. Ed Hooper (R-Palm Harbor) told Axios he couldn't recall a special session "where there wasn't a group of pretty smart people working on solutions" ahead of it.
- "Unless they started 10 minutes ago, I don't know that that's happened."