Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan turned red with rage after this immigration veto backfired spectacularly

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan thought she had the votes to protect illegal aliens.

She was wrong, and now she’s facing an uprising.

And Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan turned red with rage after this immigration veto backfired spectacularly.

Republicans launch all-out assault on Deegan’s sanctuary city agenda

Jacksonville has become ground zero in the battle over illegal immigration, and Mayor Donna Deegan just picked a side.

The Democrat mayor vetoed a common-sense bill that would have stopped taxpayer dollars from flowing to organizations that provide services to illegal aliens.

City Councilman Rory Diamond introduced the legislation after it became clear that Jacksonville residents were tired of their hard-earned tax dollars supporting people who broke federal law to enter the country.

The bill passed the City Council with an 11-7 vote, showing strong support for accountability and transparency.

But Deegan had other plans.

She used her veto power to kill the legislation, claiming it would create “legal risk” and make Jacksonville a “target for constitutional challenges.”

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power didn’t mince words when he slammed Deegan’s outrageous decision.

“Donna Deegan has once again shown her true colors to the people of Jacksonville: she’d rather stand with criminal migrants than legal, hardworking taxpayers,” Power said in a blistering statement.

“Here in Florida, we won’t tolerate municipalities harboring illegal immigrants and providing a safe haven to those that flout our laws. By vetoing this bill, she is signaling to the entire country that Jacksonville is open for illegal immigration and that local tax dollars are up for grabs to support it. It is simply outrageous.”

Diamond called the state GOP’s response “perfectly stated” and vowed to continue the fight.

Deegan’s veto attempt goes up in flames as override vote fails

Deegan thought her veto would end the debate, but she underestimated the resolve of Jacksonville’s elected officials.

City Council members immediately moved to override her veto, forcing a dramatic vote that had the entire city watching.

The override attempt fell just short of the required two-thirds majority, with eight members voting to overturn Deegan’s veto and seven supporting it.

While the override technically failed, the close vote exposed just how divided Jacksonville has become over Deegan’s pro-illegal alien policies.

“By vetoing a bill I authored, as well as the members of city council who voted in favor with overwhelming support, to stop the use of taxpayer dollars from being spent on illegal aliens, Mayor Donna Deegan is making Jacksonville a sanctuary city under our noses,” Diamond declared.

The legislation would have required transparency about how federal grants are used and mandated reporting on the number of illegal aliens residing in city-managed public housing.

It also included reasonable exceptions for children, pregnant women, victims of domestic violence, and active-duty military families.

But even those reasonable protections weren’t enough for Deegan, who chose to side with radical leftists over Jacksonville taxpayers.

“She has clearly made the choice to support lawbreakers over hard-working Jacksonvillians and prioritize illegals and criminals who put our city at risk over the great silent majority of Jacksonville,” Diamond said.

This is just the beginning of Jacksonville’s immigration war

Diamond made it clear that Deegan’s veto was just a temporary setback in the larger battle to secure Jacksonville’s borders and protect taxpayers.

“We absolutely will not give up the fight, I will put this same bill in this year’s budget,” he promised.

“We will just put the same language in the budget in about a month and we only need 10 votes for that. We will still not be spending any money.”

The budget approach is a brilliant political move that would bypass Deegan’s veto power entirely.

While the mayor can veto individual bills, the city budget requires approval from both the City Council and the mayor by September 30.

If Diamond can get the immigration restrictions included in the budget, Deegan will be forced to either accept the entire budget with the immigration language or shut down the city government.

The Duval County GOP issued a statement calling Deegan’s veto “deeply disappointing” and urged residents to contact their City Council members.

“We want Jacksonville to be put first, not illegal immigrants. The ordinance – passed by an 11-7 vote in City Council – reflects the public’s desire for transparency and fiscal accountability.”

This immigration battle represents a larger fight happening across Florida and the nation.

President Donald Trump has made it clear that his administration will not tolerate sanctuary cities or local officials who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Deegan’s decision to protect illegal aliens over Jacksonville taxpayers puts her directly at odds with the Trump administration’s America First agenda.

The fact that even some Democrat council members voted for the original legislation shows that opposition to illegal immigration crosses party lines in Jacksonville.

Deegan may have won this round with her veto, but she’s badly miscalculated the political winds.

Jacksonville voters will remember in the next election that their mayor chose to protect people who broke federal law to enter the country instead of the hardworking citizens who pay her salary.

Diamond’s promise to include the immigration restrictions in the city budget means this fight is far from over.

And with President Trump back in the White House promising to crack down on sanctuary cities, Deegan may soon find herself on the wrong side of federal law enforcement.

Jacksonville deserves a mayor who puts American citizens first, not one who rolls out the red carpet for illegal aliens with taxpayer dollars.