Ron DeSantis: Florida Pitching in to Help With Illegal Immigration

Four years of non-enforcement of our border and our nation's immigration laws have left the Trump administration with a lot of remediation that needs doing. Trump's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Border Patrol, and other agencies involved, under the leadership of border czar Tom "The Hammer" Homan, have a lot of catching up to do and can only count on four years of the second Trump administration, and only on two years of a friendly Congress to help with any legislative requirements. Nothing is permanent in politics — except taxation.

Fortunately, some of the states are prepared to pitch in. One of those is Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing the Florida state legislature to action. The Florida legislature has not, apparently, been completely cooperative. On Monday, Governor DeSantis took his case to the people directly in a post to his official X account to explain just what he wants done.

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.

I am glad the Legislature’s bill includes many of my proposals, including the…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 27, 2025

He's not happy with all of what the Florida legislature has in mind, though. The X post continues:

I am glad the Legislature’s bill includes many of my proposals, including the long-overdue need to eliminate tuition waivers for illegal immigrant students. But overall, their new bill is substantially weaker than the proposals I outlined and that are necessary to ensure that Florida leads on fulfilling the Trump Administration’s mandate to enforce immigration law and deport illegal aliens:
-It fails to put an enforceable duty on state & local law enforcement to fully cooperate on illegal immigration enforcement. This means that Florida localities will provide no meaningful assistance to federal efforts.
-It unconstitutionally removes authority to enforce the law from the governor to a lower-level cabinet agency, the department of agriculture, that does not oversee state law enforcement and whose stakeholders often oppose enforcement measures.
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.

The gist of the governor's ambitions with this proposed law seems to be providing tangible support to federal efforts, which is where states can provide valuable help, not just in enforcement efforts — which cannot and should not be downplayed because, as President Trump has pointed out, local cops know their own jurisdictions best. States can also provide valuable logistical support — like housing captured illegal aliens until they can be repatriated. And, again, as "The Blaze" correspondent Julio Rosas has pointed out, the Trump administration is trying to recover from four years of inaction in this facet as well.

This. Right now the Trump admin is dealing with four years of atrophy. Which is why Gov. DeSantis called the special session to get the ball rolling for FL to help the feds. It's crazy the state legislature is acting pissy about it. https://t.co/SPdYq8Kfm1
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 27, 2025

It's a mess, a right old mess, as my British friend would say, but we're seeing progress. The Trump administration will need the help of the states, and he's starting to get it.

Things Are Getting Nasty in Florida As Republican Leaders Stand in the Way of Trump and DeSantis

Governor DeSantis concludes:

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.

It seems a safe bet that Governor DeSantis will get the bill he's looking for. He has a reputation for making things happen. And while we celebrate the return of Donald Trump to the White House as well as the well-deserved ascendency of his heir apparent, JD Vance, a superstar in his own right, we shouldn't overlook the fact that Governor Ron DeSantis has a pretty bright future in Republican circles himself.

Meanwhile, it seems like Florida Democrats are forming a circular firing squad:

No wonder Florida has gone from a swing state (remember the 2000 election?) to a solid red state. Ron DeSantis can take a lot of the credit for that.