Florida Defies Feds With Bold New Immigration Crackdown

Florida is taking the reins in immigration enforcement and stepping away from the federal government’s umbrella. Governor Ron DeSantis has greenlit the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to conduct immigration operations independently. The Left will tell you that this is unprecedented, and they’re right, but not in the way they’d like you to believe. No other state in the nation is charting its path in this manner.

Over 100 FHP troopers have been sworn in as special deputy U.S. marshals, giving them authority over immigration cases. The implications? These troopers can now apprehend immigrants and process them for deportation without federal assistance. They can also serve and execute federal warrants. This is a fundamental shift from the past, where FHP troopers could only contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers or release an undocumented driver, even if they had a criminal record.

This move by Florida should not be seen as an anomaly, rather, it is a robust cooperation between federal and state agencies. The Trump administration’s push for mass deportations is mirrored in Florida’s actions. This new trooper program is an offshoot of the government’s 287(g) program, which fosters a partnership between ICE and state and local law enforcement agencies to apprehend and deport undocumented individuals.

Who else is participating in this initiative? The answer is simple: all 67 of Florida’s counties, the FHP, and several other agencies. This partnership has been instrumental in Operation Tidal Wave, a state crackdown that led to over 1,100 arrests.

The reality is, the FHP troopers are the first fully credentialed officers under this task force model. As a result, any state trooper in Florida now has federal authorities to detain, investigate, apprehend, and deport, as confirmed by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Director Dave Kerner.

Florida is not shying away from enforcing immigration laws, and it is doing so with the full authority granted to it. The Sunshine State is asserting its autonomy within the boundaries of the Constitution and setting a precedent that other states might just follow.