TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – In a massive policy shift, Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking immigration enforcement to the next level, allowing state troopers to work in direct cooperation with the ice.
DeSantis positions Florida as the national leader in immigration enforcement, so immigration lawyers are pushing back, highlighting the legal disruption these actions bring.
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“If you look at all law enforcement agencies that have won 287 (a federal agreement), more than half of them are in one state.
287 G Contracts are when local and state agencies work together with federal immigration efforts. In the state’s latest immigration reform, Florida Highway Patrol troopers now have more powers in immigration cases.
“You wouldn’t even be able to dent it in it using random ice agents scattered around the country,” DeSantis said.
The governor says state law enforcement officials are now able to handle illegal immigration operations and arrests without the help of federal agencies. This has sparked criticism from legal experts and immigration advocates.
Hector Dias, managing partner of immigration lawyers, said there was a process in which individuals were once taken to county jails here in the state and ICE puts immigration holds.
“All these people are uprooted in Texas from their community, there’s no one there, and even if they’re not committing a crime, they have to go before the judge and form a bond,” Diaz said.
However, DeSantis argues that immigration enforcement is a citizen and not a criminal matter.
“If you just remove them on the other side of the border, that doesn’t mean the same legitimate process that attaches to people raised in criminal charges,” DeSantis said.
Diaz acknowledges the need for safe boundaries, but he wants a more balanced approach.
“Make sure no one enters. No one kicks. There must be a midpoint where hardworking immigrants can raise their families here, be legal, have work permits and contribute to society,” Diaz said.
Diaz believes Florida is beyond constitutional boundaries and that immigration is federal responsibility, but DeSantis argues that states should be allowed to enforce these efforts if the federal government does not.
