Special Poll
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has lost control over a key immigration initiative that allowed him to fly undocumented immigrants across the country.
The Unauthorized Alien Transport Program (UATP), which DeSantis had used to relocate migrants to other states, was officially repealed as part of an immigration deal reached between the governor and Florida lawmakers. Moving forward, any transport of undocumented immigrants must be under the direct control and supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
DeSantis’ office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The governor faced strong resistance from Florida Republicans when they rejected his immigration proposals and instead pushed forward their own legislative package on January 27. The bill, called the “Tackling & Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy”—or TRUMP Act—marks a significant shift in state policy, moving away from DeSantis’ previous stance.
By agreeing to end his migrant transportation plan, DeSantis appears to be losing political influence within the Republican Party as he enters his final two years in office.
What Led to This Decision?
Back in 2022, DeSantis made national headlines when he arranged for dozens of undocumented immigrants to be flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, a heavily Democratic area in Massachusetts. The move was widely seen as a political statement against then-President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
At the time, the controversial flights elevated DeSantis’ national profile, fueling speculation that he was positioning himself to challenge Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary.
Earlier this year, DeSantis pushed for a special legislative session to approve new proposals aligned with Trump’s second-term immigration agenda. One of his proposals included expanding UATP to deport undocumented immigrants directly outside the U.S. Reports suggested that DeSantis even considered using the program to send immigrants to the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.
However, Florida Republicans rejected DeSantis’ plan and instead drafted their own immigration legislation, significantly weakening his role in shaping state policy.
The Final Immigration Agreement
After a period of tension and pushback, DeSantis and the Florida Legislature reached a deal that effectively dismantles UATP, with the program set to fully expire in June 2027.
Under the new agreement:
- Any future transportation of undocumented immigrants must be approved and controlled by ICE.
- The state will reimburse taxpayers for costs related to migrant transport.
- The Florida Legislature’s plan to make Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson the state’s chief immigration officer has been eliminated.
- A new State Board of Immigration Enforcement will be created, consisting of the governor, the commissioner of agriculture, the attorney general, and the chief financial officer. All decisions must be approved unanimously.
DeSantis had previously dismissed the idea of Simpson overseeing immigration policy, arguing that agriculture leaders rely on undocumented workers for cheap labor. In a video posted on social media, he likened it to putting a “fox in charge of the henhouse.”
With DeSantis conceding on this issue, the question remains: Has he lost his grip on immigration policy, or will he find a new way to regain control before his term ends?