TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis declared that Florida leads the nation in immigration arrests, attributing the results to the state’s aggressive enforcement policies requiring full cooperation with federal authorities.
DeSantis credited Florida’s strict laws banning sanctuary cities and mandating that all 67 counties partner with federal immigration authorities through 287(g) agreements. These partnerships authorize trained state and local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions, including identifying, questioning, and detaining individuals subject to removal while working alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The governor highlighted his authority under state law to remove any mayor or sheriff who refuses to cooperate with deportation efforts, underscoring the requirement for local officials to actively support federal immigration enforcement. Florida lawmakers have enacted measures making the state the only one in which every county has entered into such 287(g) agreements, creating what officials describe as a comprehensive statewide framework.
DeSantis urged other states to adopt similar approaches and expressed support for the federal SAVE America Act, which aims to require proof of citizenship to prevent non-citizens from voting in elections. He praised Florida’s model as an example of an effective partnership with the federal government amid ongoing national debates over immigration enforcement priorities, border security, and interior removals.
State officials have pointed to joint operations, including large-scale efforts involving the Florida Highway Patrol, local sheriffs, and federal partners, as key drivers of the arrest totals. These initiatives have focused on criminal offenders, as well as individuals in the country illegally, with Florida consistently ranking at or near the top in 287(g)-related arrests and overall ICE activity in recent reporting periods. The state has also expanded detention capacity to support processing and removals.
DeSantis framed the results as evidence that coordinated state-federal action can deliver measurable outcomes in immigration enforcement, calling on additional states to strengthen their own cooperation with federal authorities.
