From Bold to Spineless: Florida’s GOP Leadership Shows Its True Colors

TRUMP Act or Tired Act? Florida’s Legislature’s Shameful Sleight of Hand"

Today Florida’s political stage has been set, and the actors have taken their places. Governor Ron DeSantis called for a special session to tackle the state’s role in immigration enforcement, outlining bold proposals to align Florida with federal directives following Trump’s ascendency to the Presidency and his stated mission to make Illegal immigration and immigration reform the mandate of his new administration. DeSantis has demonstrated a sincerity in accomplishing this goal since he first became Governor and has fought his own battles in Florida many times against his own party. Today is no different other than DeSantis viewing the rise of Donald Trump and the focused push on immigration, border security, and birthright citizenship as clear signals that this is the moment to strike while the iron is hot. DeSantis no slouch on immigration saw a need to implement changes in state policy to help the Federal government in its role in enforcing policy and his plan included removing in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students, appointing a state immigration officer, and mandating full cooperation between state and local law enforcement with federal authorities. These measures were clear, enforceable, and designed to address what he called a pivotal moment in American history: the fight to reclaim sovereignty and uphold the rule of law.

But instead of rising to the occasion, the Florida Legislature took a detour. Before the last words of DeSantis’ declaration had finished being uttered weak-kneed Republicans in the Florida legislature began their typical excuse-making. They claimed there was “no need” for a special session despite DeSantis stating it was to give Trump more runway after his first week of executive orders. They claimed they didn’t want to impede Trump, and ignored when Trump himself posted on Truth social and stated DeSantis’ plan was the right call and one other Governors should emulate. They called it theater while they themselves performed theater in their weak arguments against it. They even complained about the cost of a special session ignoring the many times they’ve done it in the past and for less needed measures.

Which leads us to today where the special session was convened under DeSantis authority as Governor. After declaring the governor’s session “premature,” these same lawmakers convened their own counter-session, crafting a watered-down response that reads less like a serious policy effort and more like a script for political theater. Their flagship proposals—embodied in House Bill 1B and the ironically named "Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act"—veer sharply from DeSantis’ vision. These bills shift immigration enforcement authority to the Department of Agriculture, introduce vague measures for local law enforcement, and fail to establish meaningful oversight. It’s a classic case of legislative sleight of hand: creating the illusion of action while ensuring that little, if anything, changes.

This decision to delegate immigration enforcement to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is not only bewildering but verges on constitutional delinquency. The Florida Constitution is quite explicit: the governor, as the state’s chief executive, is responsible for the faithful execution of the law.

Article IV, Section 1(a) specifies the governor's role:

"The supreme executive power shall be vested in a governor, who shall be commander-in-chief of all military forces of the state not in active service of the United States. The governor shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed..."

To wrench such a critical function away from the executive branch leap over the Governor and deposit it into the hands of an agricultural agency—one traditionally concerned with livestock inspections and citrus blights—is a textbook example of bureaucratic overreach masquerading as innovation. This maneuver doesn’t just undermine the governor’s authority; it also stretches the separation of powers to its breaking point. It’s blatantly unconstitutional, and likely intended to be so maintain the status quo. As dumb as I believe Randy Fine to be, I don’t think he’s dumb enough to have missed this.

Even more audacious, the Legislature dared to invoke President Trump’s name for this bait-and-switch, slapping his brand on a policy framework that undermines the very enforcement measures he championed. The result? A legislative product as toothless as it is cynical, designed to appease donors and deflect responsibility rather than confront the issue head-on.

This isn’t just a missed opportunity; it’s an insult to Floridians. The stage is now set for a battle between the governor’s bold vision and the Legislature’s cowardly retreat—a battle that reveals not just the stakes of immigration reform, but the deep dysfunction of a political class more concerned with optics than outcomes.

And so, with this groundwork laid, let’s turn to the heart of the matter: how the Florida Legislature managed to transform a moment of potential leadership into an embarrassing exercise in legislative cowardice.

The Fox, the Hen House, and the Florida Legislature’s Bait-and-Switch

One has to applaud some of the members of the Florida Legislature—not for their ingenuity, decisiveness, or commitment to upholding the law, but for their extraordinary ability to outdo themselves in cowardice and theatrical posturing. The immigration bill recently introduced by Florida lawmakers is less a policy document than a script for a bad comedy like Paul Blart Mall Cop. It takes Governor DeSantis’ serious and actionable proposals which were the goal for having a special session and reduces them to a farce that would make a traveling circus blush. This isn’t governance; this is sabotage disguised as deliberation.

Let me begin with the core unconstitutional absurdity of the bill I just mentioned: transferring immigration enforcement authority from the governor to the Department of Agriculture. As if handing immigration enforcement to those whose primary expertise lies in citrus quotas and cattle auctions were a stroke of genius. This legislative sleight of hand ensures that enforcement will not occur—not now, not ever. It’s a masterclass in bureaucratic jujitsu, shifting responsibility to an agency that lacks both the mandate and the tools to act. It’s like appointing a zookeeper to oversee a naval fleet: they might have the best intentions, but they are hopelessly out of their depth.

This isn’t an accident. The move to place immigration enforcement under the purview of an agency whose stakeholders often oppose such measures is not a blunder; it’s by design. It’s a deliberate effort to dilute the governor’s authority and neuter any real enforcement capability. By putting the fox in charge of the hen house, the Legislature has ensured that the hens will remain as vulnerable as ever while the fox feasts in peace.

What’s more galling is the brazen attempt to name this weak-kneed legislation after President Trump. It’s as if lawmakers believe that invoking Trump’s name will mask the bill’s hollowness. But no amount of branding can conceal the fact that this is a bait-and-switch tactic, a cynical attempt to create the illusion of an immigration crackdown while achieving precisely the opposite. This isn’t just legislative malpractice; it’s a betrayal of the very people these lawmakers claim to represent.

The Legislature’s bill also fails to establish an enforceable duty on state and local law enforcement to cooperate on immigration enforcement, i.e. the point of the special sessions timing to aid Trump’s immigration executive orders at the state level. Without this critical provision, Florida localities remain free to shirk their responsibilities, leaving federal efforts unsupported and ineffective. This isn’t a “compromise” or an attempt at balance; it’s a deliberate abdication of duty. The bill is designed to give lawmakers political cover without requiring them to make the tough decisions that real governance demands.

And let’s not ignore the laughable excuse from legislative leaders that a special session was “premature” or that these issues “don’t meet the threshold” for urgency. Immigration is an issue that has dominated every national and state election cycle for over a decade. It is a matter of sovereignty, public safety, and economic stability. If this doesn’t meet the threshold for action—the literal number one issue referenced by voters that got Trump elected—what does? The reality: these lawmakers are not concerned about timing or thresholds; they are concerned about the political risk that comes with real action. They prefer to stall and obfuscate, hoping the moment will pass and the responsibility will fall on someone else.

Governor DeSantis, to his credit, has not been deterred by their antics. His proposals were clear, enforceable, and grounded in the reality of the challenges Florida faces. Eliminating tuition waivers for illegal immigrant students, ensuring full cooperation between state and local law enforcement, and maintaining the governor’s authority to enforce immigration laws are all necessary steps to address this crisis. These measures are not radical; they are reasonable and long overdue.

The road ahead is fraught with obstacles. The Florida Legislature has made it abundantly clear that it will not go quietly into the night of meaningful reform. They will resist, dilute, and delay at every turn. This is not just a battle for immigration policy; it is a battle for the soul of governance itself. Will Florida lead, or will it succumb to the cowardice and inertia that have plagued so many other states?

DeSantis understands what is at stake. This is not merely a policy fight; it’s as he’s mentioned even today: A fight for sovereignty, for law and order, and for the principles that underpin a functioning society. The Legislature may hope to muddy the waters and escape accountability, but Floridians deserve better. The governor’s resolve offers a stark contrast to the Legislature’s dithering. In this moment of history, one can only hope that leadership will prevail over cowardice, and action will triumph over theater.

The Florida Legislature may have succeeded in weakening this bill, but they have not weakened the resolve of those who demand real solutions. The fight continues, and the stakes could not be higher. The real questions to be answered for Florida voters is do you want more of the same or do you want a government that does it’s job?