ORLANDO, Fla. – Republican candidate for Florida governor, Rep. Byron Donalds, says he would, if elected governor, continue to have local law enforcement agents work with ICE agents to continue the crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
In an interview with News 6 anchor Lauren Melendez, Donalds said law enforcement had his full support, and ICE has been operating within the confines of the law, “beyond a shadow of a doubt,” despite what critics say.
[RESULTS 2026 INTERVIEWS: Paul Renner | Jay Collins | David Jolly]
“We have a decision to make, every Floridian has to make that decision,” Donalds said. “Are we gonna abide by the law and be a law and order state, or are we going to choose to not do that? I choose to follow the law and I choose make sure that Florida complies with federal immigration law. We are going to continue that standard that Gov. DeSantis has set.”
You can watch that part of the interview in the player above.
Melendez asked Donalds about the report of an internal ICE memo that allowed agents to enter homes without a judicial warrant.
[WATCH: Byron Donalds on due process]
Donalds said he wasn’t aware of the memo. However, he disagreed with the concept that undocumented immigrants have the same due process rights as citizens.
“I think there’s a broad, I think, belief, but not an accurate belief, that due process applies whether you’re an American citizen or you’re in the country illegally,” Donalds said. “If there is a legal deportation order for you, law enforcement is allowed to execute that, whether you’re in a home or you’re in a dwelling or in any other facility. They’re allowed to execute that. The same way, as an American citizen, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, if there’s a warrant for your arrest, the local sheriff is, under law, allowed to service that warrant and take you into custody, whether you are in your home or anywhere else. That’s the way the law works."
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that entering homes without a warrant violated the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure.
Immigration advocates have told communities for years not to open their doors to a federal immigration officer without a judicial warrant.
Most immigration arrests are carried out under administrative warrants, which are not approved by a judge.
Melendez and Donalds also talked about his views on making Florida more affordable, local government spending, vaccine mandates and Florida’s school voucher program.
You can watch those parts of the interview in the video players below.
Donalds, a congressman representing Southwest Florida, is running in a crowded Republican gubernatorial primary, which will take place on Aug. 18. Other major candidates include former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, and businessman James Fishback.
The Democratic gubernatorial primary is also on Aug. 18. Major candidates include Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and former GOP Congressman David Jolly.
[WATCH: Byron Donalds on affordability, repealing property taxes]
[WATCH: Byron Donalds on school vouchers, vaccine mandates]