Gov. Ron DeSantis has repeatedly extended a state of emergency order on immigration since 2023.
His team says it'll keep happening until there's no undocumented immigration in Florida. Such orders last up to 60 days without renewal.
State Democrats view this as an abuse of power: "The state of emergency has allowed the governor to skirt more than two dozen state laws, including those related to requirements for competitive bidding, oversight of excessive spending, proper licensing, public transparency and safety restrictions," said Sen. Tina Polsky of Boca Raton at a Wednesday press conference in the Florida Capitol.
The order paved the way for the so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" detention facility.
Democratic lawmakers announced bills Wednesday to end the immigration order (SCR 704), cap how many times such orders can be renewed (SB 700/HB 621), and set up a database tracking immigration actions (SB 708).
"What started in January 2023 has morphed into an unchecked abuse of executive powers and an excuse for DeSantis to suspend laws and rules that he does not want to follow," said Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman.
It's far from certain Republicans will have any appetite for the legislation.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
