TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined a news conference Friday afternoon at the Florida Sheriff’s Association Headquarters in Tallahassee for remarks on the state’s widespread adoption of 287(g) agreements.
As President Donald Trump’s second term began, DeSantis pushed law-enforcement agencies and municipalities statewide to sign 287(g) agreements allowing their officers, deputies, agents, troopers or otherwise to be trained and approved by ICE to perform immigration-enforcement duties. The Florida Highway Patrol was among the first Florida agencies that the governor has said are now able to ask anyone about their citizenship status solely on suspicion. All 67 Florida counties have since signed such agreements pertaining to their sheriff’s offices, according to DeSantis.
”There’s other people here doing great stuff, so many great sheriffs throughout the state of Florida. I think it’s really appropriate that we’re here at the Florida Sheriff’s Association. I mean, (Dave) Kerner was just down in Brevard County with with Sheriff Ivey; you know, they got like 400 in a four-day operation, 400 illegal aliens that were arrested and will be processed out of this country. Just incredible cooperation, local, state and federal. So, I’m glad that we, Florida, stepped up for the 287(g), I’m glad we imposed a legal duty," DeSantis said Friday.
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The governor was joined by ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner and St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick.
”Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem’s ‘Big, beautiful bill,’ we are able to give out $1.7 billion to state and local law enforcement,“ Sheahan said, announcing a check made out from ICE to the state of Florida for more than $28 million and another to local law enforcement for more than $10 million.
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here.