Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis says that when it comes to implementing President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Florida is “rocking and rolling.”
Florida’s two-term conservative governor used a portion of his State of the State address on Tuesday to spotlight a sweeping package of immigration laws passed a few weeks ago during a special session of the GOP-dominated legislature.
“We are convening for the regular legislative session having already enacted groundbreaking legislation to fulfill the historic mission of delivering on President Donald Trump’s mandate to end the illegal immigration crisis once and for all,” DeSantis said in his address to lawmakers inside the state capitol in Tallahassee.
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And the governor touted that “no state has done more, and no state did it sooner than we did in Florida.”
Florida’s new measures stiffen immigration enforcement by state and local law enforcement.
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“Thanks to the recent legislation, it is now a crime to enter Florida illegally, the days of catch and release are over, and all state and local law enforcement have a duty to assist in interior immigration enforcement efforts,” the governor emphasized.
The new law also mandates the death penalty for immigrants in the U.S. without legal authorization who commit capital offenses such as first-degree murder or child rape. The legislation goes even further than a slew of executive orders signed by Trump since his return to the White House in late January.
Speaking with reporters following his speech, DeSantis described the new laws as “momentous immigration legislation” and touted that “we’ve gone so much faster than any other state.”
The governor signed the immigration bills into law last month after a compromise with the Republican leaders of the legislature was brokered, which brought to an end a weekslong standoff over dueling bills.
DeSantis called the original special legislative session, but lawmakers quickly gaveled out and then held a separate special session, where they passed their own immigration bills, which the governor criticized.
DeSantis, reflecting Tuesday on the standoff with lawmakers, said “we got there. It wasn’t necessarily a straight shot, but we got there.”
The governor, who waged a bitter and unsuccessful primary challenge against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was praised by the then-president-elect in January for calling the special session.
“Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!” Trump wrote in a social media post after DeSantis announced the special session.
