Undocumented immigration bill has Florida's governor, agriculture commissioner and legislation at odds

The fight over the future of immigration enforcement in Florida has spilled into open warfare between the governor, the legislature, and other top officials.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is now responding to volleys fired by Gov. DeSantis after the legislature designated Simpson to lead the state's effort to curb illegal immigration.

Future of Florida's immigration enforcement

What we know:

On Monday night, the governor said during a tele-town hall that the legislature's proposals were not tough enough.

"While they included some of the things we said, most of the stuff that's really, really going to be meaningful was not in the proposal put forward by leaders of the Florida legislature, the Republican leaders."

RELATED: Florida lawmakers end special session called by Governor DeSantis, call their own session

The governor says the legislature's plan to ensure cooperation with the Trump Administration, to spend $500 million to reimburse local police agencies and sheriffs' offices for immigration enforcement-related expenses, and to create a statewide position called, "Chief Immigration Officer," is window dressing. 

It designates the agriculture commissioner as the new CIO.

"Agriculture has not exactly been known for immigration enforcement," DeSantis said Monday, "so it's almost like the fox guarding the hen house. It was bizarre."

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Wilton Simpson responds

The other side:

The CIO-in-waiting, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, responded Tuesday, pointing out that other industries, like housekeeping and construction are bigger draws for illegal immigrants with just 4 percent of the undocumented working in agriculture. 

"There's a lot of people who like to beat up on farmers when it's convenient for them," said Simpson, "but most of the time they're doing it with a full belly."

RELATED: Florida lawmakers to vote on 'TRUMP Act' immigration legislation after rebuking governor's special session

His agriculture department would get fifty new positions for coordinators and investigators, along with a month to build a report that deciphers why more than a million undocumented workers still make Florida home. 

Chief Immigration Officer

Dig deeper:

The position of CIO would give Simpson, who is widely seen a contender for governor in 2026, a platform on a marquee issue.

"I think it's a political issue for him," Simpson said of DeSantis. "He realizes that obviously he'll be out of office in two years and someone is going to replace him to be the next governor. And maybe he's trying to position somebody that we don't know of."

File: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

File: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

The governor insists the legislature should give teeth to the requirement that local law enforcement work with ICE, that it should block wire transfers to home countries, and make it a crime to enter Florida after illegally crossing a border.

"Now's the time to be tough," said DeSantis. "No squishing out here. We got to get the job done."

Changes are coming to the bill as we speak, including a requirement that any undocumented immigrants who are convicted of capital crimes face a mandatory death penalty. 

Will DeSantis sign the new bill?

What we don't know:

The governor still calls the new bill weak, so it remains to be seen if he will sign it.

But he also faces a potentially veto-proof majority.

The Source: This story was written with information collected by FOX 13's Evan Axelbank. 

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