ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man arrested by Florida Highway Patrol in Orange County is accused of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border before making his way to Central Florida.
Emanuel Dali Ramirez Gutierrez, 37, was stopped by a trooper around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday after crossing S. Orange Blossom Trail outside of a marked crosswalk, according to his arrest affidavit.
Ramirez Gutierrez gave the trooper a Honduran passport and identification card, allegedly stating he and his parents were from Honduras. The man reportedly went on to say he entered the country via the U.S.-Mexico border and had been living in Texas before coming to Florida, the affidavit states.
An Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent determined Ramirez Gutierrez evaded inspection upon entry to the U.S. and was thus in violation of F.S.S. 811.102(1), “Illegal entry by adult unauthorized alien into (Florida),” leading to his arrest, according to the affidavit.
Ramirez Gutierrez was booked in the Orange County jail, records show.
Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set about signing a series of agreements with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to see local and state-level law enforcement trained and approved by ICE to perform immigration enforcement duties via the federal agency’s 287(g) Program. FHP is one of several Florida agencies that the governor says are now able to ask anyone about their citizenship status solely on suspicion.
“This agreement will give FHP expanded power and authority to interrogate any suspected alien or person believed to be an alien as to their right to be in in the United States if they are found to be in violation of proper immigration status. They will be further detained and processed for state or federal offenses,” DeSantis said, adding that FHP would also have the power to serve and execute warrants of arrest for immigration violations, administer oaths, prepare affidavits and statements for ICE supervisory review, and take evidence including fingerprints, photographs and interviews for processing.