DeSantis Signals Plan to Veto Florida GOP’s Immigration Bill
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced Wednesday that he intends to veto a Republican-led immigration bill recently passed by the state legislature, escalating tensions between him and GOP lawmakers in Florida.
“The veto pen is ready,” DeSantis posted on social platform X after the bill cleared the legislature Tuesday night.
In a follow-up statement, he criticized the measure, saying, “The bill that narrowly passed the Florida legislature last night fails to honor our promises to voters, fails to meet the moment, and would actually weaken state immigration enforcement.”
DeSantis’s veto threat adds to an ongoing feud with Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez (R) and Senate President Ben Albritton (R). In a dramatic move Monday, Perez and Albritton shut down a special session that DeSantis had called to implement former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Instead, legislative leaders introduced the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act (TRUMP Act), which assigns state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson as Florida’s chief immigration officer—a move DeSantis has strongly opposed, calling the bill “watered down.”
While the TRUMP Act shares elements of DeSantis’s own proposals—such as increasing penalties for noncitizens who vote, enhancing punishments for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, and eliminating in-state tuition for undocumented students—the biggest point of contention is Simpson’s appointment as chief immigration officer. Simpson, who is rumored to be considering a 2026 gubernatorial run, is not aligned with DeSantis, fueling speculation that the governor’s veto is as much about political strategy as policy.