6:17 PM UPDATE
- A special session is happening the week of the 24th.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis made the call this morning while speaking at the Capitol.
- Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez, responded to the special session announcement later this evening with a memorandum
- Lawmakers called the session “premature.”
Statement from Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez
"At this time, we are not aware of any specific guidance provided to the states about actions state legislatures can take to support forthcoming federal action," the memo states.
"It is completely irresponsible to get out ahead of any announcements President Trump will make...as the people’s elected representatives, the Legislature, not the Governor, will decide when and what legislation we consider."
Click here to read the full response.
———
ORIGINAL STORY:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling state lawmakers into a special session to help carry out President-elect Donald Trump’s promises for a swift crackdown on immigration.
Trump is preparing more than 100 executive orders starting Day One of the new White House administration, in what amounts to a shock-and-awe campaign on border security, deportations and a rush of other policy priorities.
While Trump and his advisers have pledged mass deportations, many questions remain about how they would deport anywhere close to the 11 million people estimated to be in the country illegally.
DeSantis announced Monday he’s scheduling the special session for the week of Jan. 27, the week after Trump is sworn in, so that state lawmakers will be poised to help implement the incoming president’s policies immediately.
Today, I called for a special session of the Florida legislature the week of January 27 to prepare Florida to lead on the Trump Administration’s deportation program. We will allocate resources and ensure state and local officials in Florida are supporting these efforts.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 13, 2025
We have… pic.twitter.com/glzTXeNndD
“State and local officials in Florida must help the Trump administration enforce our nation’s immigration laws,” DeSantis said. “In order to do that effectively, we are going to need legislation to impose additional duties on local officials and provide funding for those local officials.”
The Republican governor said he’s prepared to suspend elected officials from office if they are “neglecting their duties” under the new immigration mandates and that he would consider activating the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard to carry out in-state enforcement measures.
DeSantis said he anticipates allocating tens of millions of dollars in new funding to help state and local officials expand their enforcement and detention efforts.
WATCH THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW:
Governor DeSantis Makes an Announcement from the Capitol https://t.co/kJa0bhuxUN
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 13, 2025