In a sign DeSantis was not proving a threat to Trump, the Republican Party of Florida voted in September 2023 not to require participants in the state's 2024 presidential primary to pledge to support the eventual nominee, which ensured Trump would not have to pledge support to DeSantis when the two were locked in a bitter campaign.

Florida lawmakers defied DeSantis and approved their own version of sweeping immigration reforms amid a GOP power struggle.

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature continue their feud over immigration, the governor proposed a $115.6 billion budget for next fiscal year, along with a recommendation to add $505 million to the current budget for state and local law enforcement agencies to help federal officials deport unauthorized immigrants.