Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo Blasts Republican Infighting Over Illegal Immigration

MIAMI - Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo criticized Florida Republicans in a series of remarks as the party infights with Gov. Ron DeSantis in special legislative sessions over how to implement President Donald Trump's immigration agenda in the state.

"Republicans are supposed to be tough on illegal immigration. Not in Florida. Florida continues to bloat state government, by ingesting billions of your money into a bigger and bigger bureaucracy. We’re about to find out who is really tough on crime," Pizzo said.

In particular, Sen.Pizzo criticized Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill), an ally of the governor, for filing eight "DeSantis" bills in the legislature on combatting illegal immigration.

In detail, Sen. Pizzo mentioned one "DeSantis" bill called for roughly $1.7 million to establish the "Office of Secure Florida" to enforce compliance of "E Verify", which allows businesses to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.

Pizzo specified that 90% of Florida businesses do not use E-Verify, adding the bill "won’t do much to capture illegals."

A former prosecutor, Pizzo again grilled Ingoglia on another "DeSantis" bill that allows for pretrial detention if the court determines the defendant is an illegal alien, noting most defendants charged with a misdemeanor will take a plea at a bond hearing and be released.

He also knocked Ingoglia after the legislature filed The Unauthorized Alien Transport Progam (SB 14-A), noting the senator practically introduced the same bill in another special session in 2023.

That bill (SB 6-B), which passed, allowed the state to transport, detain, and deport illegal aliens in the United States under federal law. Pizzo noted not one unauthorized alien was transported under Ingoglia's bill and only wasted taxpayer money.

Pizzo has signaled a possible run for Florida governor in 2026. The 48-year-old is considered a moderate in the Democratic party, including on issues related to illegal immigration.

After back and forth between state lawmakers and DeSantis, including a governor-initiated special session, the legislature passed the TRUMP Act, which would eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants at public colleges and universities, among other things.

DeSantis quickly called the bill "weak", including a provision for "catch and release" that could allow judges to release illegal immigrants who are detained by authorities. DeSantis also railed against the bill for moving immigration authority away from his office to Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson.

The infighting could ultimately just result in a stalemate, as DeSantis has indicated he will veto the bill. Although, Republicans could override the veto with their supermajority in the legislature (stay tuned).

"This week was a waste of our time, and your money," Pizzo said. "I will be proposing an immigration bill that is tougher on criminals, and constitutional, comprehensive, and cost-efficient. "Politicians can go on being petty, but not until we equip law enforcement to enforce the law."