Politics
Blaise Ingoglia reimburses 4 Southwest Florida law enforcement agencies for immigration work
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office, which houses undocumented immigrants in its jail, received $8.25M.
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia presented reimbursement checks for the second day this week to Florida law enforcement departments that have helped in immigration enforcement.
Ingoglia was in Southwest Florida to distribute the checks worth a combined $8.78 million to two Sheriff’s Offices and two Police Departments. Sheriff’s Offices in Collier and Hendry counties were reimbursed for their efforts to stem illegal immigration, along with the Naples and Arcadia Police Departments.
“It’s only right if we ask you to do more work that we have the funding there,” Ingoglia said during a check presentation ceremony in Naples. “We’re reimbursing you for training and when we’re taking you away from normal duties.”
The money is coming from the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office received the largest share of the funding, amounting to $8.25 million. The Arcadia Police Department in DeSoto County was presented with a check of $377,185. The Hendry County Sheriff’s Office received a reimbursement worth $85,067, and the Naples Police Department was reimbursed with a $74,326 check.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said the funding from the state is valued by local law enforcement.
“It goes way beyond one element of public safety,” Rambosk said. “The funding we have received today is going to help strengthen the collaboration between all of our law enforcement partners to carry out our mission.”
Collier County has a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house undocumented immigrants in the county jail. Rambosk said that includes housing more detainees in the jail facility.
The funding presented by the state will be used to upgrade technology and communications in the jail, he added.
Ingoglia started the tradition of reimbursing local law enforcement agencies with state funding for immigration enforcement shortly after he was appointed CFO by Gov. Ron DeSantis about a year ago. He presented the funding to several agencies into the early part of this year and then the program went dormant for several months.
The CFO returned to the tradition in June and on Tuesday presented checks to multiple law enforcement agencies in Central Florida amounting to a combined $11.44 million.