Florida Becomes First State with Full Sheriff Cooperation on Immigration Enforcement

All 67 county sheriffs in Florida have agreed to fully cooperate with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in enforcing immigration laws, making Florida the only state with complete participation in the 287(g) program.

Governor Ron DeSantis and Department of Homeland Security Senior Counselor Keith Pearson announced the agreement Wednesday at Homestead Air Force Base. Under the program, local and state law enforcement will have the authority to perform certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) functions.

“This is really the model for other states to follow,” DeSantis said.

In the coming weeks, ICE will train local law enforcement to implement the agreement. Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz, along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Highway Patrol, attended the news conference.

“As the mission continues to develop at the national and state level, we here in Miami-Dade County will support in whatever way necessary to ensure we are obeying the law,” Cordero-Stutz stated.

To support the initiative, DeSantis said the state has allocated $250 million to assist local law enforcement, with additional federal reimbursements expected.