Gov. Ron DeSantis is rebuking Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd’s intention to write a letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson seeking clarity on federal immigration enforcement priorities.
At a State Immigration Enforcement Council meeting this week, Judd made comments some saw as a rebuke to Trump’s mass deportation policies. Judd at a later news conference rejected that framing, saying he in fact supported “mass deportation of illegal aliens — those that are criminals, those who have warrants of deportation, those who are here creating havoc and problems.”
DeSantis, however, pushed back Thursday, arguing undocumented migrants can still pose a danger even if they don’t have a criminal past.
“You know, we have different people that are victimized by illegal aliens every day in this country. Not all of them have criminal records at the time. In fact, probably most of them don’t,” DeSantis said.
“But under some view, it’s like, okay, yeah, you come illegally and then you stay until you commit a really violent crime. That just doesn’t work. It’s incoherent. And it’s not what the President ran on. And so to send a letter to him asking him to go back on his campaign policies, I would not advise that to be done.”
While Judd and the Council proposed sending a letter asking for clarification on how to allocate limited law enforcement resources, it’s unclear whether that letter would have asked Trump “to go back on his campaign policies.” The proposed letter has not been made public.
DeSantis’ comments come after Judd’s Monday remarks raised eyebrows.
“While Congress sits on their hands and does nothing about this, we are on the ground floor with this day in and day out — looking in the eyes of these folks that, yes, came here inappropriately. But some came here inappropriately only to do better for themselves and their family,” Judd said during Monday’s State Immigration Enforcement Council meeting.
Judd’s later presser tried to do damage control.
“I want to dispel the hyperbole that there is some break from what we should be doing or what the President of the United States and the Governor have asked,” Judd said. “I want to make it abundantly clear that we in Florida law enforcement wholeheartedly support and endorse ICE. We fully cooperate with them, and I might add that they fully cooperate with us. In fact, they are excellent to work with.”
But what’s clear is DeSantis sees the proposed letter as a breach.
His comments come after Attorney General James Uthmeier likewise said Sheriffs had a job to do regardless of qualms.
“What I’ll say is in Florida, we’re going to keep enforcing the law. That is our job, as law enforcement, to enforce the law that’s on the books. If people are here illegally, then they are breaking the law, and we are going to enforce it,” Uthmeier said at a news conference in Orlando.
“At the end of the day, even if people have been, you know, welcomed here on some temporary status, we’ve seen it still jeopardize public safety.”
The post Gov. DeSantis opposes Grady Judd’s proposed letter to feds on immigration enforcement appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
