‘A letdown’: Florida Democrats slam passage of ‘expensive,’ ‘cruel’ TRUMP Act

Florida House of Representative members clap and cheer after passing an immigration bill that aligns with President Donald Trump's immigration goals during the legislative special session B on Jan. 28, 2025 in the Florida Capitol building in Tallahassee. (Ella Thompson/Fresh Take Florida)

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and other state Democrat leaders have called out Republicans over the passing of a new immigration bill that puts a pinpoint focus on President Donald Trump‘s immigration agenda of deporting undocumented immigrants.

In a statement, Fried said Florida Republicans had “lost their damn minds” and are doing nothing more than pulling “another political stunt.”

“What started as just another political stunt from Ron has turned into an out-of-control reality TV show that is going to have drastic consequences for immigrants in Florida,” she said.

“Floridians deserve real solutions to our broken immigration system, not rushed bills cooked up overnight that will hurt workers, businesses, and our economy.”

The Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy Act (TRUMP Act), sponsored by Sarasota Republican Sen. Joe Gruters, passed on an 83-30 vote Tuesday night. It would impose stricter penalties for undocumented immigrants, including the death penalty for capital crimes, and remove in-state tuition from undocumented immigrant students — the biggest point of contention when the bill went to committee.

Tampa Democrat and House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said in a statement that the U.S. immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed to better provide a pathway for people to come to the U.S. to work legally.

“America, and Florida, needs workers to keep our economy strong and growing,” Driskell said. “Unfortunately, this bill is political, cruel, and doesn’t solve the problem. I cannot support a bill that allows the government to enter a school and take a child into custody. That would be terrifying for a kid, who has done nothing wrong. All children should know that their school is a safe space, a place of learning where they are protected. I can’t imagine this happening in a classroom in my community.”

Driskell added that the Legislature’s focus should be improving the lives of all Floridians and called the Special Session prompted by Gov. Ron DeSantis a “letdown.”

“Our focus should be on doing the work of the people, to do things to improve the lives of all Floridians. We are in the middle of an affordability crisis in this state,” she said, “The cost of housing, health care, insurance, and groceries are skyrocketing, and I don’t believe that taking away state tuition from Dreamer kids will lower any of those costs. In all of the many, many political fights that started this week, no one will pay a penny less for a dozen eggs, no one’s property insurance bill will go down, and no family struggling to make ends meet will wake up tomorrow to a Florida that is more affordable. And so, by that measure, this Special Session has been a letdown for Floridians.”

Hollywood Democrat Rep. Marie Woodson said that while it is important to address immigration issues, it should not be at the expense of Florida children.

“As a state that prides itself on being the land of opportunity and freedom, it is essential to ensure our policies protect all children and uphold the values that make Florida a family-friendly state,” she said. “While it is unequivocally important to address immigration concerns, we must do so in a manner that reflects our commitment to freedom, opportunity, and the well-being of all children in our state. Targeting children who know Florida as their only home and had no capacity in making a crucial decision to migrate to the Land of the Free is misguided. By fostering an environment that balances security with compassion, we can continue to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for all who call Florida home, and that includes the hardworking immigrants, DREAMERs, and DACA students.”

Fort Lauderdale Democrat Rep. Daryl Campbell called out the fiscal impact of the bill, which will appropriate more than $500 million in state funds, and noted the impact it will have on businesses and the massive cost of litigation the measure could cause.

“The TRUMP Act is expensive, unconstitutional on its face, and fails to address the priorities of my constituents. The state of Florida is expected to begin running deficits within five years, and yet we are appropriating over $500 million in this one bill alone,” Campbell said, “That doesn’t even count the economic costs of the bill for Floridians. How much will it cost the local businesses seen on the news with ICE agents conducting a raid inside? How much will it cost in litigation to automatically sentence someone to death and then deal with years of litigation? And how much will it cost us as a society to deny those here through no fault of their own — brought here as children — the rights they deserve?”

Ocoee Democrat Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis mirrored Fried’s sentiments, suggesting the bill was a political ploy by DeSantis to garner favor with Trump after his failed presidential campaign and failure to secure himself a cabinet position. She said it is not the Florida Legislature’s responsibility to “do the President’s bidding.”

“Florida is not Donald Trump’s playground,” she said, “nor is it Gov. DeSantis’ personal sandbox!”