In a significant policy change, Governor Ron DeSantis is intensifying immigration enforcement by authorizing state troopers to collaborate directly with ICE.
While DeSantis aims to establish Florida as a frontrunner in immigration control, some immigration attorneys express concerns about potential legal uncertainties stemming from these measures.
“Nationwide, when you consider all law enforcement agencies that have partnered through 287 agreements with the federal government, over half are located in one state. Can you guess which one? It’s Florida,” stated DeSantis.
287 G agreements are when local and state agencies work alongside federal immigration efforts. In the state’s latest immigration reform, Florida Highway Patrol troopers now have more authority in immigration cases.
“You are not going to be able to make even a dent in that with just random ICE agents that are sprinkled around the country,” DeSantis said.
The governor says state law enforcement officers can now handle illegal immigration operations and arrests without the help of federal agencies. This has legal experts and immigration advocates drawing criticism.
Hector Diaz, managing partner with Your Immigration Attorney, said there used to be a process where an individual would get taken to the county jail here in the state and ICE would then place an immigration hold.
“All these people are being uprooted from their community to Texas, where they have nobody and then we have to go in front of a judge and try to bond them out, even though they’ve committed no crime,” Diaz said.
However, DeSantis argues immigration enforcement is civil and not a criminal matter.
“If you’re just simply removing them on the other side of the border, that does not mean the same due process that would attach to people that are brought up on criminal charges,” DeSantis said.
Diaz acknowledges the need for secure borders but calls for a more balanced approach.
“Don’t let everybody in and, you know, don’t kick everybody out. There has to be a middle ground where hard working immigrants can be here raising a family, be legal, have work permits, contribute to society,” Diaz said.
Diaz believes Florida is overstepping constitutional bounds, saying immigration is a federal responsibility, while DeSantis argues states should be allowed to enforce these efforts if the federal government fails to do so.
