On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he would veto an immigration bill that Republicans in the state legislature passed this week. This is part of his ongoing disagreement with state GOP lawmakers.
“The veto pen is ready,” DeSantis said in a post on social site X following the legislation’s passage Tuesday evening.
“The bill that narrowly passed the Florida legislature last night fails to honor our promises to voters, fails to meet the moment, and would weaken state immigration enforcement,” the governor wrote.
DeSantis’s veto threat comes amid a war of words between DeSantis and state House Speaker Daniel Perez (R) and state Senate President Ben Albritton (R). In a stunning move Monday, Perez and Albritton gaveled out a special session suggested by DeSantis to implement President Trump’s immigration agenda.
Instead, the state Legislature leaders proposed the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act, also known as the TRUMP Act. The law plans to make the state’s Agriculture Commissioner, Wilton Simpson, the main immigration officer. DeSantis has said the law is too weak.
Similar to DeSantis’s plans, this law would make punishments tougher for noncitizens who vote and for anyone who helps them vote. It would increase penalties for people who commit crimes while in the U.S. illegally and take away in-state tuition for students at public colleges who entered the country illegally.
The bill also makes a chief of immigration position, but the main difference is that it names Simpson as the chief immigration officer. Simpson, mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2026, is not a supporter of DeSantis.
These events could be a turning point for DeSantis, who has had strong support from Republicans in his state, as he tries to win over Trump. Both sides of the argument have tried to influence Trump on the topic.
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