TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended Florida’s state of emergency over illegal immigration for the 18th consecutive time, keeping broad executive powers that allow Florida leaders to spend state funds and waive normal contracting rules.

What You Need To Know

 Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended Florida’s emergency declaration to crack down on illegal immigration for the 18th time

 The declaration in Florida has lasted more than 1,000 days        

 Florida Democrats are proposing legislation to limit emergency declarations

Democrats say the governor’s continued use of the declaration, first issued in January 2023, is an abuse of power.

“What we’ve seen with this governor is that he is so ambitious that he’s willing to use the purse, the state’s purse, the state’s taxpayer resources,” said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa. “He’s willing to use every angle to make things political.”

The order — among other things — gives the executive branch authority to expedite contracts, waive competitive bidding rules and suspend traditional oversight and transparency requirements.

In a statement, DeSantis spokesperson Alex Lanfranconi defended the ongoing order.

“It will continue to be an emergency until every illegal alien is sent back,” Lanfranconi said.

Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, is urging fellow lawmakers to push back.

“I think it’s long past time for the Florida Legislature to exercise our rights as a coequal branch of government and to rein this in,” Berman said.

Democrats plan to file three proposals to curtail the governor’s emergency authority. One measure would terminate the existing emergency order. Another would limit future declarations to one year unless lawmakers vote to extend them. A third measure would create an immigration database to track individuals detained or deported under state programs.

Earlier this year, the DeSantis administration used its emergency powers to establish two undocumented migrant camps — “Alligator Alcatraz” and “Deportation Depot.”

“We can sit on our hands and watch the problems not get solved, or we can be part of the solution and help lead the way,” said DeSantis in August at a press conference in Orlando.