Gov. DeSantis expects Legislature to make deal on immigration enforcement legislation ‘this week’

Among the items on the Florida Legislature’s things-to-do list apparently is subscribing to Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ vision on immigration enforcement legislation.

“I think we’re going to generate something this week. I called them in, they didn’t like that, so they passed the really stinker bill, which blew up in their face. And so, now, I think they’re looking to do some good policy,” DeSantis told the Yale Federalist Society Saturday.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because DeSantis suggested the House and Senate would accept his terms nearly a week ago.

“We’ve had great discussions. I think we’re going to land the plane. So I don’t necessarily have an announcement now, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to get there,” DeSantis told reporters Monday in Tallahassee.

DeSantis said then he expects a product that shows the legislative commitment to “aggressively address illegal immigration” and that the previous week’s discord was an “aberration.”

“I give credit to a lot of the members. They’re listening to the voters. Voters have been very, very firm on what they expect. And so when you’re elected, you listen to the people that sent you there and you make sure that your’re following through with that. So I do think that you’re going to see that plane land. It’s all about the policy,”  DeSantis said.

A major bone of contention: the Governor wants to control the fight against illegal immigration. The TRUMP Act passed by the Legislature, which DeSantis said he would veto, instead gives authority to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

The brewing compromise represents a thawing of rhetorical ice in recent days.

DeSantis has balked at how the legislative product “takes away the Governor’s authority … takes power away from me,” while House Speaker Daniel Perez said DeSantis wants to be “deporter-in-chief.”