Florida sheriffs gear up to aid immigration enforcement under new state law

Yahoo

25-02-2025

The Brief
Florida's 67 counties have agreed to detain undocumented immigrants with criminal records under a new state law supporting federal deportation efforts.
Sheriffs warn detention facilities may quickly become overwhelmed, while critics fear racial profiling.
Officials expect the program to be fully operational within 15 to 30 days.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Sheriffs Association announced on Monday that agencies in all of Florida's counties will assist federal immigration authorities in detaining undocumented immigrant criminals in jails.
What we know
All 67 Florida counties have signed agreements with federal immigration authorities to detain undocumented immigrants with criminal records. This move aligns with state law SB 2-C, passed during a special legislative session to bolster enforcement of illegal immigration.
Under the agreements, specially trained sheriff's deputies can process federal immigration detainers, holding inmates for up to 48 hours before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes custody. Officials expect the program to be fully operational within 15 to 30 days.
What we don't know
It remains unclear how Florida and federal agencies will address the shortage of detention beds. Sheriffs have warned that the increased enforcement could overwhelm the system within days.
Additionally, concerns persist about how these laws will be enforced without racial profiling, though law enforcement officials deny this will be an issue. The long-term effectiveness and logistical challenges of these policies remain uncertain.
The backstory
Florida's collaboration with ICE is part of a broader immigration crackdown tied to the Trump administration's 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to assist in deportation efforts. Training for these programs was reportedly halted under President Joe Biden but is now resuming under new state laws.
The newly created State Board of Immigration Enforcement, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, oversees the implementation of these policies, and lawmakers have also passed legislation making it a state crime for undocumented immigrants to enter Florida.
Big picture view
Florida's aggressive immigration policies reflect a larger national debate over enforcement and state involvement in federal immigration efforts. While supporters argue the measures will improve public safety by deporting criminals, opponents warn of potential civil rights violations and racial profiling.
The issue also raises logistical concerns, as existing detention facilities may not have the capacity to handle the anticipated influx of detainees.
What they're saying
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has worked closely with Trump administration officials as they make changes to what is known as the "287(g)" program that allows local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
"Their priority is apprehending and deporting as quickly as possible those who are criminally illegal, public safety threats, national security threats, those who have been previously deported and come back again," Gualtieri said
Training for deputies to participate in the program, which Gualtieri said was halted throughout former President Joe Biden's tenure, is expected to ramp up quickly.
"Implementing the process under which all jails will be able to hold these criminals is well underway, and we hope to have it fully operational within the next 15 to 30 days," Gualtieri said. "This is a big deal because it means criminals like these, people who kill, people who steal, people who break into people's houses, people who rape kids, will be deported directly from jail and not released back to the street. … It just makes sense, from the jail out of here, as opposed to, (from) the jail back to the street."
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said bed capacity is the "number one" issue for federal immigration authorities. Florida sheriffs are conducting an inventory of available beds, but the anticipated ramp-up of county enforcement efforts could "overwhelm the current ability to house people in days," according to Judd.
"There's not capacity in the Florida sheriffs or the county jails to make any negligible difference," Judd said. "We will overwhelm this system very rapidly and we intend to work very aggressively but that's why we're here making this statement today. They have to create capacity."
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, who serves as president of the sheriffs association, said sheriffs are getting educated about "very, very complex" immigration laws as the federal government revamps enforcement programs.
"It's all very fluid," Prummell said. "We're all trying to catch on and learn how this works. … There's a lot of chaos up there in D.C. still, so sometimes the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing up there. So we're trying to get a whole handle on what's going on up there so we can start implementing policies, procedures and what we need to do to get the job done, to keep our citizens safe here."
Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, told reporters Monday that the law is "overly broad and vague" and will "lead to rampant racial profiling" of people who are perceived to be immigrants.
"This law and the rhetoric surrounding it create an environment that will inevitably lead to racial and ethnic profiling of anyone perceived to be an immigrant based on the color of their skin, the accent in their voice, the neighborhoods they live in, or the restaurants and businesses they frequent," Gross said.
But the sheriffs pushed back when asked if the new laws would result in racial profiling.
"We're tired of hearing that crap. That's BS," Judd said. "Take a deep breath. Save that crazy talk for somebody else. … We've got a plate full of illegal immigrants committing crimes and warrants to deport those that have flaunted the system, and all this crazy talk just scares people that don't need to be scared. Just follow what the federal government tells you to do when they tell you to do it," Judd said.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source
This story was written based on information shared by The News Service of Florida.