DeSantis faces pushback by fellow Republicans on his call for an immigration session

Source: NPR

January 26, 20254:30 PM ET


Gov. Ron DeSantis has called lawmakers to a special session of the Florida Legislature Monday to take up a series of proposals on immigration. But it's not clear what measures, if any, will be considered as key Republican lawmakers have called the session "premature."

Florida is one of several states where Republican leaders say they support President Trump's pledge for the mass deportation of immigrants who don't have legal status in the U.S. DeSantis announced the special session earlier this month, a week before Trump's inauguration. He said he'd spoken to Trump about his plans for curbing illegal immigration and mass deportations and that the state should take a leading role.

"State and local officials in Florida must help the Trump administration enforce our nation's immigration laws," DeSantis said. "In order to do that effectively, we are going to need legislation to impose additional duties on local officials and provide funding for those local officials." His call for the session said illegal immigration has caused "massive costs" for Americans.

Among the proposals DeSantis wants is one requiring counties and cities to participate in the federal deportation program and he's seeking the authority to suspend any officials, including those who were elected, who don't comply. He proposes making it a state crime to enter the U.S. illegally. And he wants to require people to show identification and their immigration status before sending remittances abroad. That could essentially prohibit anyone here without legal status from sending money back home.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/26/nx-s1-5272694/desantis-florida-immigration-special-session-trump