Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia is bolstering local law enforcement agencies with funding to help combat illegal immigration.
Ingoglia announced that he has awarded more than $1.8 million across various Sheriff’s Offices as part of the effort. The funding is being drawn from the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
“Under the failed (former President Joe) Biden administration, the detrimental impacts of illegal immigration plagued the nation. But President Trump has made it his mission to rectify these wrongs,” Ingoglia said in a news release.
“By supporting our law enforcement and ensuring they have the resources they need to assist in immigration enforcement efforts, we are further securing our state from criminal illegal aliens. I am thankful for the efforts of President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis in securing our border and protecting the citizens of our great state.”
The money is being disbursed among five Northeast Florida agencies. The local Sheriff’s Offices receiving shares of the money include those in Bradford, St. Johns, Clay and Putnam counties, along with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick said the funding is a welcomed boost to his operations.
“The money awarded to us by the State Board of Immigration is an investment in the safety and protection of our community,” Hardwick said. “I am grateful for CFO Ingoglia’s support, and his dedication to making sure our law enforcement officers have the resources they need to make St. Johns County and the state of Florida the best place in the nation to live, work, play, raise a family and retire.”
St. Johns County received the largest cut of the immigration enforcement funding, at $1 million. Clay County was next, with a $606,151 contribution from the state. Putnam County received $108,384, Jacksonville was allotted $94,000 and Bradford County was awarded $25,683.
