Florida Democrats aim to end immigration state of emergency

During Florida’s immigration overhaul, Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended the state of emergency on this issue nearly 20 times while the state has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support the Trump administration’s mass deportations. Some Democratic lawmakers are now looking to rein in the governor’s power and increase transparency around immigration enforcement. “We want to process, stage and then return illegal aliens to their home country,” Gov. DeSantis said in August. “That is the name of the game.”Under the immigration state of emergency that’s been in place since January 2023, the state constructed and opened Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades and converted an empty Baker County correctional facility into Deportation Depot.”We know that this is an important national priority, not only of President Trump, but the American people,” DeSantis said in August.In late November, the governor again extended the state of emergency for 60 days through an executive order. “What has happened under this immigration state of emergency is the governor has abused his emergency power to give hundreds of millions of dollars in public money, in no-bid contracts,” Orange County’s Democratic State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith said.Smith has introduced a bill that would require legislative approval to extend a state of emergency for more than a year. “It’s about making sure that the legislature as a co-equal branch of government, has the ability to rein in any future governor, Republican or Democrat,” Smith said.State Sen. Tina Polsky, a Democrat from Boca Raton, is sponsoring a separate bill that would terminate the ongoing immigration state of emergency. Legislation proposed by State Senate Democratic leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton would create a state immigration enforcement action database to track who is being detained.”If the State of Florida and the DeSantis administration are so proud of the immigration enforcement that they are engaging in, then they shouldn’t mind this level of transparency,” Smith said. WESH 2 emailed the Office of the Governor Monday to ask if Gov. DeSantis intends to continue the emergency declaration for the rest of his second term.The response included a post on X by the governor’s communications director saying, “it will continue to be an emergency until every illegal alien is sent back.””We’re hearing from our constituents every single day who live in fear because they worry that they’re going to be targeted,” Smith said. WESH 2 also asked the DeSantis administration for a current count of immigrants being detained at Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot. The governor’s press secretary said questions related to individuals housed at those two detention facilities should be directed to ICE’s media relations. “Those are state run facilities,” an ICE spokesperson said in an email to WESH 2. “You will need to reach out to the state of Florida.”WESH 2 did receive updated numbers Monday from Orange County Corrections about inmates with ICE holds at the county jail. As of Monday morning, the Orange County jail had 285 inmates with immigration holds.During the 2024 calendar year, there were 1,107 immigration-related bookings.For comparison, since Jan. 1, there have been 6,118 bookings in Orange County with ICE holds and more than 4,400 of those inmates were solely held in the jail because of their immigration status and no other local charges.

During Florida’s immigration overhaul, Gov. Ron DeSantis has extended the state of emergency on this issue nearly 20 times while the state has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support the Trump administration’s mass deportations.

Some Democratic lawmakers are now looking to rein in the governor’s power and increase transparency around immigration enforcement.

“We want to process, stage and then return illegal aliens to their home country,” Gov. DeSantis said in August. “That is the name of the game.”

Under the immigration state of emergency that’s been in place since January 2023, the state constructed and opened Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades and converted an empty Baker County correctional facility into Deportation Depot.

“We know that this is an important national priority, not only of President Trump, but the American people,” DeSantis said in August.

In late November, the governor again extended the state of emergency for 60 days through an executive order.

“What has happened under this immigration state of emergency is the governor has abused his emergency power to give hundreds of millions of dollars in public money, in no-bid contracts,” Orange County’s Democratic State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith said.

Smith has introduced a bill that would require legislative approval to extend a state of emergency for more than a year.

“It’s about making sure that the legislature as a co-equal branch of government, has the ability to rein in any future governor, Republican or Democrat,” Smith said.

State Sen. Tina Polsky, a Democrat from Boca Raton, is sponsoring a separate bill that would terminate the ongoing immigration state of emergency.

Legislation proposed by State Senate Democratic leader Lori Berman of Boca Raton would create a state immigration enforcement action database to track who is being detained.

“If the State of Florida and the DeSantis administration are so proud of the immigration enforcement that they are engaging in, then they shouldn’t mind this level of transparency,” Smith said.

WESH 2 emailed the Office of the Governor Monday to ask if Gov. DeSantis intends to continue the emergency declaration for the rest of his second term.

The response included a post on X by the governor’s communications director saying, “it will continue to be an emergency until every illegal alien is sent back.”

“We’re hearing from our constituents every single day who live in fear because they worry that they’re going to be targeted,” Smith said.

WESH 2 also asked the DeSantis administration for a current count of immigrants being detained at Alligator Alcatraz and Deportation Depot.

The governor’s press secretary said questions related to individuals housed at those two detention facilities should be directed to ICE’s media relations.

“Those are state run facilities,” an ICE spokesperson said in an email to WESH 2. “You will need to reach out to the state of Florida.”

WESH 2 did receive updated numbers Monday from Orange County Corrections about inmates with ICE holds at the county jail.

As of Monday morning, the Orange County jail had 285 inmates with immigration holds.

During the 2024 calendar year, there were 1,107 immigration-related bookings.

For comparison, since Jan. 1, there have been 6,118 bookings in Orange County with ICE holds and more than 4,400 of those inmates were solely held in the jail because of their immigration status and no other local charges.