 Announcing Special Session C Tonight, after weeks of negotiations regarding competing immigration proposals, it appears the Legislature and Governor DeSantis have struck a deal. Below is a memo from leadership, as well as a summary of the legislation. TO: All Legislators FROM: Ben Albritton, President & Daniel Perez, Speaker SUBJECT: Special Session C DATE: February 10, 2025 Over the last several weeks, there has been a great deal of productive discussion on how the state of Florida can best assist President Trump’s efforts to crackdown on illegal immigration, with a particular focus on partnerships between local, state, and federal law enforcement to arrest, detain, and deport criminal illegal immigrants. Today, we are filing a proclamation with the Secretary of State to convene the Legislature in Special Session C, beginning at noon on Tuesday, February 11, and ending at noon on Friday, February 14, for the exclusive purpose of passing legislation to combat illegal immigration. Each Chamber will file three pieces of legislation for your consideration, preserving the core provisions of the legislation passed in Special Session B, with only minor modifications. Combining important feedback received from Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Simpson with the very strong legislation passed during Special Session B, we are building on the technical assistance from the White House to advance and implement strong policies and provide critical resources to support President Trump’s efforts to combat illegal immigration efficiently and effectively. We are proud that over the last few weeks conversations and debate within the Legislature on these issues have been civil and respectful. By working together with the Governor towards a shared goal, these proposals and appropriations ensure Florida continues to lead by example with the strongest crackdown on illegal immigration in the nation. Modifications to Legislation passed in 2025 Special Session B: · SB 2C/HB 1C creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement comprised of the Governor, Commissioner of Agriculture, Attorney General, and Chief Financial Officer. All decisions must be approved unanimously. · To reflect the addition of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement, SB 2C/HB 1C updates the composition of the State Immigration Enforcement Council. · The Board will approve the release of grants to support local law enforcement in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. As in SB 2B, grants are to reimburse eligible expenses or provide $1,000 bonuses to law enforcement officers involved in Homeland Security task force operations. SB 2C/HB 1C appropriates $250 million for the grant program. · The bill removes the concept of a single statewide immigration officer. · To recognize the critical role of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in enforcing immigration laws, SB 2C/HB 1C appropriates significant funding to DACS to hire additional sworn law enforcement and support positions to enhance interdiction activities and protect the borders of this state. This includes funding to build a new interdiction station in North Florida to curb illegal immigration within the I-10 corridor. · To keep dangerous illegal immigrants behind bars, the prior bill ensured judges have information about a defendant’s immigration status that can be used to deny bail. The new bill strengthens that provision by requiring pretrial detention for illegal immigrants who commit forcible felonies. Pretrial detention is already denied for other serious violent crimes. · The bill replaces the existing Unauthorized Alien Transport Program with a new program where the transport of illegal aliens is done only at the direction of the federal government, with state taxpayer costs fully reimbursed. · To better protect our borders, SB 4C/HB 3C creates state-level crimes for immigrants who illegally enter and illegally reenter our state. For more information, please see the {following} summary for the new bills.
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