‘Veto pen is ready.’ DeSantis says he’ll reject lawmakers’ competing immigration bill

After Florida legislators rejected Gov. Ron DeSantis’ immigration proposals to pass their own package instead, DeSantis fired back by promising to veto their bill.

DeSantis’ plan for a veto comes as little surprise amid the feud between the governor and the Republican House and Senate leaders. The governor had repeatedly criticized the bill, which included stripping DeSantis of much of his authority over immigration.

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The Legislature’s proposal, the “Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy” (TRUMP) Act, would remove the bulk of power over immigration enforcement from the governor and put it in the hands of Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

On social media Wednesday morning, DeSantis said that the Legislature’s bill “fails to honor our promises to voters, fails to meet the moment, and would actually weaken state immigration enforcement.”

“The veto pen is ready,” DeSantis said.

READ MORE: Florida Legislature votes to strip DeSantis of immigration oversight powers

DeSantis has railed against the proposal on social media and TV interviews. He also sent a plea out through the Republican Party listserv asking people to call their representatives ahead of the special session.

DeSantis called the Legislature’s proposal a “bait-and-switch” for being named after President Donald Trump but being a “weak” bill.

On Wednesday, DeSantis continued his attack on the bill, hosting two roundtable discussions, including one where he sat with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and another where he included a woman who said her husband was killed by an immigrant in the country illegally who was drinking and driving.

During those events, DeSantis insinuated that Florida’s legislative leaders didn’t want to be strong on immigration enforcement.

“Their bill makes us a de facto sanctuary state,” DeSantis said. “This is not just a difference of approach, this is a difference in values.”

House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton’s refusal to run DeSantis’ immigration package is a rare rebuke of the governor in Tallahassee, where DeSantis has for years dominated the Legislature’s agenda.

Albritton on Monday said some of DeSantis’ immigration proposals, such as criminally charging local police who don’t cooperate, were potentially unconstitutional and had nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“Sometimes leadership isn’t about being out in front of an issue,” Albritton said Monday. “It’s about following the leader you trust. I trust President Trump.”

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The bill DeSantis would veto includes $500 million for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for things like training for local law enforcement and increased detention capacity. It also would repeal a state law that gives in-state tuition to immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. DeSantis has advocated for ending the in-state tuition law.

DeSantis called lawmakers back for a special session earlier in January, saying that Florida needed to help Trump’s agenda on immigration. He also called on lawmakers to pass other changes to condominium laws and the ballot initiative process.

Perez and Albritton quickly swatted down the governor’s idea, saying a special session was premature and potentially irresponsible, and that the issues were better suited for Florida’s regular session, which begins in March. Instead, they called their own special session and put forward their own immigration bill.

During that special session, lawmakers also overrode one of DeSantis’ vetoes for the first time. But it seems less likely that the Legislature would be able to override DeSantis’ immigration veto, which requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate.

Even though Republicans have a supermajority in both chambers, six Republicans voted against the bill in the Senate, three of them ardent DeSantis supporters.

To be able to override the promised veto, Albritton would need to be able to win back the other three Republicans and at least some Democrats.

In a private call with supporters on Monday night, DeSantis said he spoke to Trump and Trump’s border czar. Florida’s legislative leaders also said they received help on the legislation, which they amended, from the Trump administration.

Trump has endorsed Florida doing a special session on immigration, but the president hasn’t offered his thoughts on DeSantis’ proposal or the Legislature’s proposal.

This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 9:12 AM.