Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suffered a significant setback from his own Republican legislators. The governor had called a special legislative session for January 27 to align state immigration laws with federal policies promoted by Donald Trump.
Criticism from Legislators over Ron DeSantis’ special session
Republican leaders in the Florida Legislature, Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Pérez, took the initiative to oppose the governor. Both openly criticized the immigration policies proposed by Ron DeSantis. The session convened by the legislators aimed to present a bill sponsored by Senator Joe Gruters, a close ally of Trump, and to overturn some budget vetoes that Ron DeSantis had imposed during the last legislative session.
The legislators did not reject the session because they opposed combating illegal immigration, but rather because they believed special sessions should be used sparingly. Daniel Pérez emphasized during his speech in the House that these sessions should not be tools for generating headlines. Meanwhile, Ben Albritton criticized DeSantis‘ proposals and justified the rejection of the special session, arguing that such meetings hinder the normal legislative process, which fosters dialogue and the creation of better ideas.
Ron DeSantis’ immigration measures aligned with Trump
Ron DeSantis proposed a series of immigration measures that align with the policies promoted by Donald Trump. Among them are strengthening the border, reducing and limiting the sending of remittances by immigrants abroad, and allocating millions of dollars to ensure the detention of illegal aliens. However, these proposals faced resistance from legislators, who considered them insufficient to justify a special session.
Florida is a key state for the mass deportations driven by Trump, not only because of the alliance between Ron DeSantis and the former president but also due to the presence of over one million immigrants in the state. In this context, DeSantis‘ policies aim to strengthen immigration control but face the challenge of gaining support from his own Republican colleagues.
Raids and testimonies from those affected by immigration policies
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with other federal agencies, has launched the mass deportation plan promoted by Trump. In Florida, raids have already begun to affect entire communities. A man in Miami, who chose to remain anonymous, told CBS News how his wife was arrested by ICE agents while she was in the process of obtaining citizenship. This testimony reflects the desperation of many families facing the consequences of the immigration policies promoted by Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump.
In summary, Ron DeSantis faces significant internal challenges in his attempt to align Florida’s immigration policies with those of Trump. The opposition from Republican legislators and the testimonies of those affected by the raids highlight the tensions and human costs of these measures.
