Florida Expands State Role in Immigration Enforcement

Florida is set to become one of the first states to grant state law enforcement expanded authority in immigration enforcement under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday.

DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to implement the agreement, allowing state troopers to be trained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out immigration duties. Under the deal, FHP officers will have the power to interrogate individuals suspected of being in the country illegally, arrest and detain migrants, and expedite deportations.

The initiative aligns with former President Donald Trump’s vision of large-scale deportations, which DeSantis emphasized require state cooperation. The agreement falls under ICE’s 287G program, which grants state and local officers certain immigration enforcement powers under federal oversight.

“This is the final opportunity to end the illegal immigration crisis once and for all,” DeSantis declared during a news conference in Tallahassee.

By taking this step, Florida aims to strengthen interior immigration enforcement and play a key role in federal deportation efforts.