Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican, immediately gaveled out of the special session declared by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), decrying it as a “stunt,” leading lawmakers to gavel into their own.
Both Perez and Republican state Senate President Ben Albritton had called the session “premature” when it was declared two weeks ago, but they had largely been quiet on how they would approach the session after DeSantis warned it would be “very, very hazardous politically” if they defied him.
The legislature decided to end the special session DeSantis had ordered that was focused on assisting President Donald Trump‘s deportation efforts, instead opting to gavel into its own special session on the matter. Perez took aim at the governor, arguing that the other matters he wanted lawmakers to address, including condominium regulations, hurricane relief, and regulations for ballot initiative petitions, did not warrant a special session.
“I believe special sessions should be used sparingly, they should not be stunts designed to generate headlines,” Perez said. “And the truth is, I hate special sessions because they inhibit the very thing the process should encourage, the push and pull of meaningful conversations that lead to the development of good and better ideas.”
“Special sessions should be reserved for those issues that truly cannot be addressed in the normal course of the legislative process. Most of the issues raised in the proclamation for special session A simply do not meet that threshold,” Perez added, noting that the regular session begins on March 4.
He also took time to condemn DeSantis’s pressure campaign in the weeks leading up to the special session.
“Attacks on this body — attacks on all of you — are not acceptable. This House will never be moved by threats. I will always have an open door and an open mind, but if someone forces me to choose sides, members, I will always choose yours,” Perez said to the House chamber.
As the legislature begins its own special session on immigration, Perez said DeSantis’s proposals were “too narrow” and that he wanted to create an “express lane” between local and federal law enforcement officials through legislation.
The state House speaker also said he wants to designate Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson as the chief immigration officer for the state as part of the response to illegal immigration.
Albritton said in remarks to the state Senate that Sen. Joe Gruters, a Republican, has offered up an alternative bill on helping the Trump administration with deportation and immigration efforts, which the Senate president said would be filed later Monday.
The Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy, or TRUMP, Act, as introduced by Gruters, would vest Simpson as the “only person responsible” for working between federal immigration authorities and the state government, among other changes to state law he argues would put the Sunshine State more in line with the Trump administration’s efforts.
DeSantis, in a lengthy post on X, took a victory lap over lawmakers deciding to work on immigration policy through a special session, despite quickly ending the one he called, but blasted the “substantially weaker” new bill being offered.
Though the Florida legislature's leadership initially said the call for a special session on immigration enforcement was “premature,” they have now finally agreed to come in and do their job.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 27, 2025
I am glad the Legislature’s bill includes many of my proposals, including the…
He specifically took aim at how the bill does not put “an enforceable duty” on local law enforcement to hold with illegal immigration enforcement and how it “unconstitutionally” moves power regarding immigration from him to Simpson.
“By giving enforcement power to the agricultural arm of state government, it ensures that enforcement never actually occurs. In short, it puts the fox in charge of the hen house,” DeSantis said. “This is a unique moment in American history. We are either going to reclaim our sovereignty, uphold the law, and protect our citizens or allow this moment to slip away.”
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“We need strong immigration legislation that ensures Florida is doing everything it can to assist this important federal mission. The Legislature’s bill is a bait-and-switch tactic trying to create the illusion of an illegal immigration crack down, when it does anything but. It is an insult to name such a weak bill after President Trump, who has been so strong on this issue,” he added.
The actions by the state House and Senate, which have largely worked in tandem with the governor since he entered office in 2019, were a rare rejection of DeSantis.
