HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Department of Homeland Security officials will hold a joint news conference Wednesday evening in Homestead.
Officials are expected to address efforts to tackle illegal immigration along the state’s coastline, and sheriffs from across the state are expected to attend.
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News4JAX confirmed sheriffs from St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Putnam and Bradford counties will be at the news conference. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Sheriff T.K. Waters was unable to make it, and we have yet to hear back from Baker County.
Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said Wednesday’s conference about enforcing illegal immigration policies is important. He said the visual of the sheriffs, standing next to Homeland Security and the governor, will send the message to people who live in the state illegally to “go home.”
This conference comes two days after one that was held in Winter Haven to address updates from the Florida Sheriffs Association on illegal immigration in the state.
During that presentation, News4JAX learned all 67 sheriffs are complying with ICE’s 287 programs, which help law enforcement address illegal immigration locally and let ICE know when undocumented immigrants are arrested and booked.
That announcement also follows the formation of the State Immigration Enforcement Council. Waters is a member of that council.
It’s a panel that advises the State Board of Immigration Enforcement on how to combat illegal immigration.
Smith said enforcement of immigration laws will look the same in all 67 states.
“We’re all making sure we have our 287 program in place with ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We’re also making sure we have more service officers in each and every county to serve those federal warrants that come down and that we’re all part of the task force and we’ll all be working together,” Smith said.