Florida Sheriffs are expressing strong support for new state and federal initiatives aimed at removing undocumented immigrants who commit crimes.
An organization all of the Sunshine State’s 67 top cops belong to, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA), has released a statement backing hardline anti-illegal immigration policies that are close to becoming law in Florida.
“Removing illegal immigrants who commit crimes in our Florida communities is an issue that affects all of us, and we are grateful that the Governor and the Legislature were willing to address it immediately,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, who leads the FSA as President, said in a statement Tuesday.
Prummell acknowledged the work Gov. Ron DeSantis has put into curbing illegal immigration. But notably, he said the FSA worked with members of the Legislature on developing solutions — and did not say the same about the Governor’s Office.
“The Sheriffs of Florida strongly agree on the importance of assisting President (Donald) Trump and ICE in accomplishing this vision quickly. For decades, we have remained vigilant in protecting our communities and enforcing the rule of law,” Prummell said. “The Florida Legislature has worked closely with us to ensure our concerns are heard so we have the tools we need to effectively and efficiently remove criminal aliens from our communities across the State of Florida, thus protecting Floridians and visitors of our great State.”
The FSA statement comes as Florida lawmakers put their final touches on the TRUMP Act, a lengthy measure the Legislature substituted this week for DeSantis-backed bills meant to crack down on illegal immigration.
Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez have been trading barbs with DeSantis for weeks over the Governor’s push for the ongoing Special Session, which they called “premature.” Those hostilities escalated Monday after the bill swap and continued into Tuesday, as Albritton and Perez tacked stiffer penalties onto the measure, including mandatory death sentences for undocumented migrants who commit capital offenses.
Reports have since arisen of a call between DeSantis and Trump about the issue, after which the President called some lawmakers — including Sarasota Republican Joe Gruters, who filed the TRUMP Act in the Senate — about language he’d like added to the bill.
Meanwhile, Trump’s second administration is accelerating nationwide deportation efforts while trying to knock down protections for immigrants and their offspring, including birthright citizenship.
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