Sheriffs in Florida said Monday they will work with federal agents for enforcement on illegal immigration in the state.
In a press conference, members of the Florida Sheriffs Association gathered in Polk County to announce their compliance with enforcing federal immigration laws. Per BayNews9:
Three programs under this provision will allow local authorities to assist with immigration enforcement — both in jails and on the streets.
This means deputies and correction officers will be able to make probable-cause arrests, participate in street task forces, and issue warrants.
Sixty-seven memorandums of agreement have been officially signed for all of Florida’s county jails. This allows staff to issue warrants for undocumented immigrants, notifying ICE when they are arrested and booked.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the people will be “deported and not released back into the community to commit more crimes.” Gualtieri recalled how a man who had twice been deported to Honduras killed one of his deputies back in 2022 during a construction incident, emphasizing the importance of local authorities cooperating with ICE agents.
“Because it keeps clearly bad people from getting back on the street where ICE has to spend resources, and we have to help them go find these people,” he said. “It’s also safer for the ICE officers to take these people into custody from the jail.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the biggest challenges authorities will face is not having enough bed space.
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“There is no capacity in the sheriff’s or the county jails of this state to make any negligible difference. We’ve got to have the federal government make capacity,” Sheriff Judd said. “That’s why we’re here making this statement today, and the federal government knows this. They have to create capacity. We can bring them all the business they can handle and more.”
Sheriff Judd told migrants here in the United States illegally they can either self-deport or be deported by authorities.
“It’s time to leave the country. You can leave by yourself or you can leave in handcuffs,” he said.
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