“When elephants battle, the grass gets trampled”—African proverb. (Art: AI)
Feb. 6, 2025 by David Silverberg
Updated 4:40 pm with additional material and text of resolution.
Updated Feb. 10 with comment from John Meo.
Four prominent Republican local elected officials were condemned in absentia on Monday, Feb. 3, by the Collier County Republican Executive Committee (CCREC) for failing to support an anti-immigration bill favored by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
The CCREC voted further to censure the officials if they continued to support the legislative version of the bill in question, the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act (CS/SB 2-B), which passed the both the Florida House and Senate on Jan. 28 in a special session.
None of those condemned were present when the resolution passed by a voice vote.
The condemnation was directed at State Sen. Kathleen Passidomo (R-28-Naples), former president of the Florida Senate, and state Reps. Lauren Melo (R-82-eastern Collier County), Yvette Benarroch (R-81-western Collier County) and Adam Botana (R-80-Lee and northern Collier counties).
The meeting was chaired by CCREC Chair John Meo. Lawyer Douglas Lewis projected both the TRUMP Act and the DeSantis bill version on a screen before the audience. The audience was asked for a show of hands on which legislation they favored. The DeSantis legislation was overwhelmingly favored by a voice vote at the end of the presentation. Meo called the vote unanimous but the group’s parliamentarian corrected him that there were dissenting voices.
At the outset of the meeting Michael Lyster, former chair of the CCREC, argued against proceeding with the agenda item, saying that it was premature and the resolution was improper. He argued that under the CCREC’s rules it cannot censure the party’s elected Republican officials. However, he was ignored.
All the officials were in the Florida capital of Tallahassee at the time and did not participate or have the opportunity to participate in person or remotely. There were no speakers presenting the officials’ side of the story.
The resolution
The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) officially endorsed the TRUMP Act over DeSantis’ bill, which prompted the CCREC response.
A Republican Party of Florida flyer endorsing the TRUMP Act. Below, the CCREC’s response.
A CCREC flyer responding to the RPOF.
After its establishing clauses stating the current situation as it sees it, the CCREC resolution “formally expresses its displeasure with the Florida Legislature” and “fully supports” both DeSantis’ and Trump’s efforts to deport “criminal illegal aliens.”
It calls on the named Republican legislators to work with DeSantis but if they “fail to work with Governor DeSantis and fail to vote in favor of strong legislation and appropriations, on or before the end of March 2025” on legislation “acceptable to Governor DeSantis” [emphasis theirs], then the CCREC would hold a formal vote censuring the officials.
(Thanks to multiple sources, the full resolution is available at the conclusion of this article.)
Present at the meeting were Collier County commissioners Chris Hall (R-District 2), Dan Kowal (R-District 4), and William McDaniel (R-District 5), School Board members Jerry Rutherford (District 1) and Tim Moshier (District 5). Also attending was Chris Worrell, a Proud Boys member convicted of assaulting police officers with a chemical agent during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol, who evaded police before being apprehended and incarcerated, and who was just pardoned by Trump.
According to attendees who requested anonymity, the whole event was rushed through, with presentation of the resolutions, debate and a vote taking place in the space of a half hour.
“The CCREC taking action to censure legislators before anything has been decided is totally not within their purview,” Diane de Parys, a former member of the CCREC and president of the Republican Women of SW Florida Federated, told The Paradise Progressive. “The role of the CCREC under the Republican Party of Florida is to get out the vote and taking positions on special session bills that have not been decided is totally wrong in my opinion.”
“Heated, political discourse is to be expected in these challenging times. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with the CCREC disagreeing with how an elected official voted,” noted former Republican county commissioner Penny Taylor in a publicly distributed email. “But leadership who ignore the basic [tenets] of fairness such as giving a man or woman his or her day in court before passing judgement … that leadership is reckless and needs to be questioned.”
“Everyone knew it was going on,” Meo told The Paradise Progressive in a Saturday, Feb., 8th phone call. “Everyone got notice 24 hours beforehand and as far as the number of people complaining, there were very few; not more than two or three.”
The legislators named were able to join remotely. “They had input,” he said. “They could have Zoomed in.” He said he spoke to Melo and Benarroch the week before the meeting. He made the point that the presentation took 35 minutes and was very detailed regarding the dueling bills.
Meo said that there had not been any critical feedback since the meeting and that the majority of Republicans “have been very supportive.”
He also reiterated his support for the substance of the resolution. “We’re in a virtual war with criminal illegals where they’re taking over hotels in cities,” he said. He also hoped that DeSantis, as head of the Florida Republican Party would work out a compromise with legislative leaders but “stay strong” because one thing he cannot abide is having immigration enforcement in the office of Commissioner of Agriculture.
Comment was also requested from Passidomo, Melo, Benarroche, and Botana but no response had been received as of posting time. (This report will be updated if responses are received.)
The context
The CCREC vote comes amidst a dispute between DeSantis and the legislature over the best means of cracking down on undocumented migrants in Florida.
On Jan. 13, DeSantis called for a special session of the legislature in order to pass 10 measures against undocumented migrants, among other proposals. The governor’s bill would:
Mandate maximum participation in the 287(g) deportation program, with penalties for non-compliance, including suspension of officials;
Establish a state crime for entering the U.S. illegally and a process for self-deportation;
Appoint a dedicated officer to oversee coordination with federal authorities and the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program (UATP);
Expand UATP to detain and facilitate the deportation of illegal aliens from the U.S.;
Broaden the legal definition of gang-related activities to include more groups of dangerous illegal aliens;
Repeal in-state college tuition for illegal immigrant students;
Require voter registration affirmation of U.S. citizenship and Florida residency;
Increase penalties for unauthorized aliens committing voter fraud or providing false voter registration information;
Mandate identity verification for foreign remittance transfers; and
Create a rebuttable presumption that illegal aliens are flight risks and deny bail.
Florida state Senate President Sen. Ben Albritton (R-56-DeSoto and Hardee counties) and Speaker of the House Rep. Daniel Perez (R-116-Miami-Dade County) pushed back against DeSantis’ special session call, labeling it “premature.”
In a memorandum issued within hours of DeSantis’ call, the two stated: “It is completely irresponsible to get out ahead of any announcements President Trump will make, especially when uninformed or ill-timed state action could potentially impair or impede the success of President Trump’s forthcoming efforts to end illegal immigration, close our borders, and protect the sovereignty of our nation.”
The dispute became personal as DeSantis accused Albritton and Perez of “theatrics” and called them “RINOs” (Republicans in Name Only) and said their bill “gutted all the enforcement provisions” in his bill.
“This is really the SWAMP Act,” he scoffed and complained the bill, “takes power away from me … the power that I’m currently exercising now.”
After an initial standoff, the legislative leaders convened the governor’s special session on Jan. 28 but then immediately adjourned it, without passing any legislation. Then, the same day, they convened their own session and passed the TRUMP Act.
The major difference between the governor’s proposal and the legislature’s bill was that authority for enforcement was put in the hands of the Commissioner of Agriculture, in this case Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
In 2023, DeSantis had used his authority as governor and state funds to transfer migrants to locations such as Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and the Vice Presidential Residence in Washington, DC, as a show of protest and to make a political point. Under the TRUMP Act he would no longer have that authority.
DeSantis was clearly furious when the legislature passed the TRUMP Act.
“They decided to do a bill that not only won’t work, that actually is weaker than what we have today,” he said during a roundtable discussion at the Brevard County’s Sheriff’s Office in Titusville. “Everything that I’ve proposed is stronger than what the Legislature has done.”
Albritton and Perez slapped back with a letter issued the same day: “The Legislature will not act in a disingenuous or dishonorable way by attacking anyone, especially our law enforcement. Unlike others, the Legislature is not interested in misleading or attacking Floridians, especially Florida law enforcement. Our number one goal is to work together with President Trump. Anyone that says anything otherwise is not reading the bill, not reading executive orders, or just not telling the truth.”
DeSantis threatened to act politically against legislators who voted for the TRUMP Act by using funding from his Florida Freedom Fund Political Action Committee to oppose them in primaries.
“The FL Freedom Fund was instrumental in raising huge sums of $ to defeat Amendments 3 and 4 in 2024,” he posted on X on Jan. 30. “For the 2026 cycle, the FFF will raise even more resources (1) to ensure support for a strong conservative gubernatorial candidate and (2) to support strong conservative candidates in legislative primaries. We need to elect strong leaders who will build off FL’s success and who will deliver on the promises made to voters.”
He stated he would veto the legislation when it came to his desk.
As of this writing, there are indications that the two sides were in discussions and might find an accommodation.
“We’ve had great discussions. I think we’re going to land the plane,” DeSantis said on Feb. 3.
Analysis: Impact
Locally, it’s unclear how much weight the CCREC condemnation or censure will have in local Republican politics or how much influence it will have with local Republican lawmakers. However, it yet again displays a streak of authoritarianism that has long been associated with the CCREC and with those local Republican activists who repeatedly use threats to intimidate officials into surrendering to their demands.
And it also bears noting the real losers in all these disputes: migrants and immigrants of all legal status whose labor provides the products, services and assistance that keeps the local, state and national economies working and prosperous.
The CCREC Resolution
A RESOLUTION OF THE COLLIER COUNTY REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CALLING ON ALL MEMBERS OF THE COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY AND COLLABERATIVELY WITH GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS TO ENACT LEGISLATION AND APPROPRIATIONS, ACCEPTBALE TO THE GOVERNOR, TO PROTECT FLORIDIANS, SUPPORT THE TRUMP IMMIGRATION MANDATE AND FULLY COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Passed by the Collier County Republican Executive Committee (“CCREC”) –
WHEREAS, the federal government’s policies under Biden demonstrated a brazen disregard for the rule of law and created significant threats to public safety; and
WHEREAS, on November 5, 2024, the American people elected Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States; and
WHEREAS, President-Elect Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2025, and is working to address the Biden border crisis by (among other things) commencing the largest federal effort in the history of the United States to deport criminal, illegal aliens, but state and local governments must partner with the federal government in this massive effort; and
WHEREAS, local voters demand that the State of Florida play an important partnership role in supporting the Trump administration in stopping criminal, illegal immigration and increasing deportations of said aliens, and Florida must be fully prepared legislatively, with sufficient state laws and appropriations, in order to significantly increase the deportation aperture in Florida; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that the State of Florida and its taxpayers are incurring billions in economic costs and losses resulting from illegal immigration and thousands of criminal illegal aliens have been charged with crimes against Floridians; and
WHEREAS, it has been reported by local law enforcement that foreign terrorists, foreign violent gang members and foreign criminals have been released into the United States and Florida putting Floridians at significant risk; and
WHEREAS, on January 13, 2025, Governor DeSantis called for a special session of the Florida Legislature to convene on January 27th, 2025 to address (among other things) needed legislation to protect Floridians, support the Trump immigration mandate, significantly increase the deportation aperture in Florida, and fully combat illegal immigration; and
WHEREAS, Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Bartow, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, released a letter announcing their opposition, asserting that “the move is premature.”; and
WHEREAS, President-elect Donald Trump subsequently (and presumably in reaction to the foregoing from the Florida Legislature) posted on his Truth Social account, stating the following: "Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!"; and
WHEREAS, on January 27th, 2025, the Florida Legislature to convened the special session, as requested by Governor DeSantis and required by law, however, the special session was quickly ended, along with all of the bills filed in Session 2025A including the DeSantis Immigration Bills (the “DeSantis Immigration Bill”), by the Florida Legislature and the Florida Legislature thereafter immediately called and convened its own special session, Session 2025B, on January 27th, 2025, filing only a single bill in the Senate (i.e. SB 2B, by Senator Gruters) and only a single bill in the House (i.e. HB 1B, by Representative McClure); and
WHEREAS, akin to the type of bad legislative conduct and practice that we have seen with Washington D.C. Democrats who controlled the U.S. Congress, it has been widely reported that the 84 page SB 2B and HB 1B were provided to all of the members of the Florida Legislature a mere hour or so before the bill was filed, in fact SB 2B (the “Florida Legislature Immigration Bill”) was filed on 1/27/25 at 10:46am and this previously undisclosed Florida Legislature Immigration Bill passed the Senate the next day, on 1/28/25 at 8:01pm and it later passed the House on 1/28/25 at 8:57pm; and
WHEREAS, the Governor DeSantis has publicly confirmed that he will veto the Florida Legislature Immigration Bill; and
WHEREAS, members of the CCREC were emailed copies of both the DeSantis Immigration Bill and the Florida Legislature Immigration Bill prior meeting on February 4, 2025, and the CCREC met on February 4, 2025 to compare competing policies in the bills and express their preference as to the discussed and competing policy choices, in an effort to induce the Collier County Legislative Delegation (hereinafter defined) to adopt good legislation that will best protect Floridians, support the Trump mandate, significantly increase the deportation aperture in Florida, and fully combat illegal immigration; therefore be it:
RESOLVED, that the CCREC formally expresses its displeasure with the Florida Legislature, and its inability to work with our Governor to pass needed legislation protecting Floridians from criminal illegal aliens; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the CCREC fully supports the electoral mandate and policy objectives of Governor DeSantis and President Trump pertaining to the mass deportation of criminal illegal aliens to protect the health, safety and welfare of all Floridians; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the CCREC respectfully and resolutely calls on State Representatives Yvette Benarroch, Lauren Melo, Adam Botana and State Senator Kathleen Passadomo (the “Collier County Legislative Delegation”) to constructively and collaboratively work with Governor DeSantis to enact legislation and appropriations, on or before the end of March, 2025 acceptable to Governor DeSantis in order to protect Floridians, support the Trump mandate, significantly increase the deportation aperture in Florida, and fully combat illegal immigration; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the CCREC fully opposes any effort by the Collier County Legislative Delegation to: (i) further support or advance the vetoed SB 2-B including, without limitation, any attempt whatsoever to strip away the Constitutional powers of our Governor and make the Commissioner of Agriculture the chief immigration officer in Florida; or (ii) make further amendments to SB 2-B that are either: (x) unacceptable to Governor DeSantis, or (y) result in additional votes from Senate or House Democrats leading to a Governor veto override; and
RESOLVED FURTHER, that should any Republican member of the Collier County Legislative Delegation fail to work with Governor DeSantis and fail to vote in favor of strong legislation and appropriations, on or before the end of March 2025, acceptable to Governor DeSantis in order to protect Floridians, support the Trump mandate, significantly increase the deportation aperture in Florida, and fully combat illegal immigration (the “Censure Vote Triggering Event”), then the CCREC shall hold a formal vote, on or before sixty (60) days from and after the Censure Vote Triggering Event, on censure and other appropriate action against any such Republican member of the Collier County Legislative Delegation.
Liberty lives in light
© 2025 by David Silverberg