Weekly Roundup: Hitting a Wall on Immigration

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican legislative leaders clashed throughout the week in a public and bitter tug-of-war over how best to carry out President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, convened a special legislative session called by the governor to address immigration and several other issues. In a rebuke to DeSantis, the leaders quickly ended the governor’s special session, began their own session and passed a measure Tuesday night that drew DeSantis’ wrath throughout the week.

The legislation, dubbed the “Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act,” would do away with in-state tuition breaks at colleges and universities for undocumented immigrants, give state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson the power to enforce immigration policies and steer hundreds of millions of dollars to law-enforcement agencies to support Trump’s policies.

“In the state of Florida, we will stand with President Trump and back his mission to make America safer and more secure!” Perez and Albritton said in a statement outlining their revamped proposal Tuesday.

By mid-week, DeSantis pledged to veto the measure (SB 2B), calling it “weak” and “pathetic” and setting up a showdown with legislative leaders in the runup to the start of the regular session March 4.

FAMILY FEUD

The Florida Sheriff’s Association broke with the governor to endorse the Legislature’s immigration plan, which also had the backing of Simpson.

DeSantis, meanwhile, held events around the state accompanied by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, who joined in the governor’s critique of the bill.

During numerous appearances on national radio and television programs, DeSantis directed his anger toward the legislative leaders, GOP lawmakers who voted for the measure and Simpson, a former Senate president who is a potential candidate for governor in 2026.

“What you’ve seen, there’s a difference between having a Republican majority and a conservative majority,” DeSantis said during an event in Fort Myers on Wednesday. “We had a conservative majority the previous two years, and I think what you’re seeing, it’s driven by leadership. They’re moving the Republicans in the Legislature left.”

By Thursday, DeSantis was vowing to channel “huge sums” of money to candidates of his choice in next year’s GOP gubernatorial and legislative primary elections.

Perez tried to counter DeSantis’ offensive during an online town-hall meeting Thursday afternoon with GOP county leaders, many of whom echoed the governor’s concerns. Perez was asked why he hasn’t worked with DeSantis to improve the measure, which was overhauled and passed late Tuesday.

“It’s tough to want to work with a gentleman that, when he doesn’t get his way, threatens to primary members of the Legislature. That’s a tough place to be in. Instead, have the conversation. Have the conversation, and you can agree to disagree, but threats aren’t going to work in the Legislature. They’re not,” said Perez, who took over as speaker after the November elections.

WINNING BIGLY

With the backing of Trump, state Sen. Randy Fine and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis cruised to victory in special primary elections Tuesday for congressional seats in the Space Coast region and Northwest Florida.

Fine and Patronis will be heavy favorites going into the general elections in the Republican-dominated districts. If they win, it would help expand the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House.

Fine topped Republicans Aaron Baker and Ehsan Joarder to advance to the April 1 special general election to replace former U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, who resigned from the Congressional District 6 seat to become Trump’s national security adviser. District 6 is made up of all or parts of Flagler, Lake, Marion, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties.

Meanwhile, Patronis emerged from a field of 10 Republicans in the contest to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned in November in Congressional District 1. That district is made up of all or parts of Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties.

Albritton announced Fine’s victory Tuesday evening as the Senate debated the immigration measure.

“Kind of weak, only 80 percent of the vote,” Albritton quipped. “We expected much more.”

“Look, it’s me. There’s of course going to be some people that don’t like me,” Fine jokingly responded.

Unofficial results later showed Fine with 83 percent of the vote, with voter turnout around 14 percent in the congressional district.

Fine, a Brevard County Republican who supported Trump over DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, also said that his “reward for that loyalty is I’m going to Congress.”

In the general election, Fine will face Josh Weil, an educator who topped George “Ges” Selmont in the Democratic primary. Libertarian Andrew Parrott and unaffiliated candidate Randall Terry, a prominent anti-abortion activist, are also in the race.

Patronis is up against Democrat Gay Valimont and unaffiliated candidate Stephen Broden on April 1. 

STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders clashed over a proposal aimed at helping to carry out President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Sometimes leadership isn’t about being out front on an issue. It’s actually about following the leader you trust. I trust President Trump. And I trust Florida law enforcement.” — Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, referring to a proposal backed by the Florida Sheriffs’ Association aimed at helping President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.