(The Center Square) – Florida lawmakers passed an immigration bill that was panned by Gov. Ron DeSantis and gaveled out of their special session on Tuesday.
The Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act – known by the acronym TRUMP Act – is sponsored by Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, in the upper chamber and Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, in the lower.
Senate Bill 2-B‘s identical companion bill, H1-B, passed three specially-convened subcommittees in the House before receiving the Senate version for a vote, where it passed 82-30 with two Republicans and 28 Democrats voting against it. In the Senate, the bill was approved 21-16, with four Republicans joining 12 Democrats in opposition.
The outcome is short of a veto-proof majority in the Republican majority Legislature. DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate in lame duck status, blasted the bill on social media.
“Obama named his health care bill the ‘Affordable’ Care Act,” DeSantis wrote. “Biden named his spending boondoggle the Inflation ‘Reduction’ Act. FL legislative leaders named their toothless immigration bill the Trump Act. Same old games.”
Legislative leaders say the TRUMP Act will empower “law enforcement to work seamlessly” with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement addressing illegal immigration.
Legislative leaders amended the bill on the floor to reflect guidance they received from the Trump administration. The changes include:
• Mandating the death penalty for people living in or entering the country illegally convicted of a capital crime
• Reclassifying criminal penalties when people living in or entering the country illegally are deported from Florida, return and commit a crime.
• Requirement for mandatory maximum sentences for people living in or entering the country illegally who commit crimes as part of a gang.
• Information sharing for transnational gangs from state officials to local law enforcement agencies.
• Any 287(g) agreements would have to be approved by the state’s immigration officer.
• Financial penalties for any sanctuary city or county.
The bill designates the agriculture commissioner – Wilton Simpson, a Republican, was elected to a four-year term in November 2022 – as chief immigration officer. He is central liaison between federal, state and local officials.
The bill would appropriate more than $500 million to assist state and local law enforcement agencies help President Donald Trump’s administration with deportations.
The legislation expands requirements passed in 2022 that a sheriff operating a county detention facility must enter into a written agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to include jails that aren’t operated by a sheriff. It would also end in-state tuition for people living in or entering the country illegally.
Gruters said during floor debate in the Senate on Tuesday that more than 6,000 people living in or entering the country illegally were taking advantage of the in-state tuition program at state universities and community colleges.
On social media, DeSantis said the bill was a “watered-down response” because it didn’t require state and local law enforcement to fully cooperate on illegal immigration under the the 287(g) program and wouldn’t stop remittances from undocumented migrants.
The second-term Republican governor said the TRUMP Act failed to create a crime of illegal entry into the state, didn’t set aside 10% of state and local law enforcement agencies to be available for immigration enforcement and failed to mandate increased penalties for undocumented migrants attempting to register to vote.
