The Florida Senate convened a special session Tuesday in Tallahassee to consider legislation and appropriations meant to strengthen the state's role in enforcing federal immigration orders, Senate President Ben Albritton said after a joint proclamation filed Feb. 10.

The proclamation, signed by Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez and filed with the Florida Department of State, called the Legislature into special session Feb. 11–14, 2025, for the “sole and exclusive purpose of considering legislation to strengthen state laws, programs, or policies and provide appropriations in support thereof to maximize the State's ability to coordinate with and assist the Federal government in its enforcement of Federal immigration law and policy,” and enumerated a list of specific topics the Legislature may address.

Those topics listed in the proclamation include establishing a state board to advise state, local and federal entities on immigration-enforcement cooperation; restricting benefits that could encourage relocation to Florida by undocumented immigrants; creating or strengthening criminal penalties related to noncitizen voting and for aliens who re-enter the state after illegal entry or removal; strengthening bail and pretrial detention requirements for unauthorized aliens; requiring valid identification information for interactions with state government; establishing programs and appropriations to allow state and local law enforcement to supplement (not replace) federal immigration enforcement; and seeking federal guidance and training. The proclamation cites the authority to convene under Article III, Section 3(c) of the Florida Constitution and Section 11.011 of the Florida Statutes.

Senate Bill 2C and Senate Bill 4C, both filed by Senator Gruters, and Senate Memorial 6C were read by number and introducer and referred to the President's reference as described in the proclamation; the reading announced the President's reference to the Appropriations Committee. The memorial requests guidance and training from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Senator Gruters was listed as the introducer during the reading.

Senator Passidomo, the Senate rules chair, moved to waive the rules and place SB 2C, SB 4C and SM 6C on the special order calendar for Thursday, Feb. 13, with an amendment deadline set for two hours after the adjournment of the Appropriations Committee meeting (the committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m.) or whichever is later. The motion was adopted without objection.

During floor remarks, President Albritton condemned threats directed at state officials and staff, calling such attacks “unwarranted” and saying, “Half truths are nothing more than a lie.” He also said the Legislature had previously passed what he described as a strong crackdown on illegal immigration and expressed intent to work with the governor and the House to refine legislation.

Senator Pizzo, speaking for the Senate Democratic caucus, echoed concerns about threats to lawmakers and staff and said some attacks were being amplified on social media. He said some Democrats are withholding filing bills now to preserve the ability to offer amendments to SB 2C and SB 4C, and said he expects to request that agency leaders — including the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Division of Emergency Management — appear at the Appropriations Committee meeting to answer questions about implementation and the use of what he called “tens of millions of dollars” in appropriations; Senator Hooper, chair of the Appropriations Committee, will decide whether to invite those agency officials.

The Senate rules chair also moved that any bills filed outside the call be sent to the Rules Committee to determine whether their introduction is warranted; that motion likewise passed without objection. The Senate then recessed and was ordered adjourned until 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, for committee meetings and other business; an objection to adjournment was noted before the chamber adjourned.

Next steps set by the chamber include Appropriations Committee consideration of the bills referenced to that committee and the special-order calendar scheduling for Feb. 13. Additional committee notices and calendar postings were described as published in the Senate calendar and posted in the rotunda.