Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced in Tampa the latest steps to bolster Florida’s plans to help the Trump administration carry out mass deportations, hoping those plans are able to be replicated in other states.
DeSantis revealed more than 100 Florida Highway Patrol troopers have been sworn in as special deputy U.S. Marshals, a designation that allows them to execute federal warrants to help remove criminal illegal aliens and carry immigration duties up until an illegal alien is removed by the federal government. As long as they have a warrant, those FHP troopers can target specific illegal aliens on their own without needing a federal immigration agent with them.
‘This is an extra layer of added authority that will be very useful in the future.’
“There is no one else in the country where they’re doing that,” DeSantis explained. “These guys now at FHP, they can do operations, they can get illegals, and they can do everything that an immigration officer will do up until they get processed for removal.”
DeSantis added that Florida has also offered the federal government assistance for transporting illegal aliens out of the country.
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Director Dave Kerner, who oversees FHP, told Blaze Media after the press conference that this new move warns illegal aliens in the state it is only a matter of time before they will be caught.
“There’s nowhere to hide in the state of Florida, whether you’re a criminal illegal alien with a violent, felony past, or you have an active order of deportation, or you’re just here unlawfully. … The chances are very high you’re going to interact with a member of state government. … The chances of you being caught and detained under federal law is increasing every day,” said Kerner.
Kerner said the current number of FHP troopers who are also special deputy U.S. Marshals will remain the same for the time being, as the U.S. Marshals requested that number to fit their needs.
“They can also enter into that person’s home or conveyance or anywhere else where that person may find shelter that the warrant allows them to enter the premises to execute that warrant,” Kerner continued. “This is an extra layer of added authority that will be very useful in the future.”
Kerner echoed DeSantis’ calls to increase detention space, a major hurdle during immigration enforcement operations that has limited the number of people who can be taken into custody. Florida has offered the federal government options and resources to help increase capacity.
Kerner and Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe said between the successes of Operation Tidal Wave, a large joint task force between Florida and federal law enforcement, and the fact that Florida accounts for over half of the 287(g) agreements nationwide, the Trump administration views Florida as the model for the rest of the country.
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