Broward County Sheriff (BSO) Gregory Tony is making it clear as soon as once more: his workplace just isn’t within the enterprise of immigration enforcement.
“We now have different priorities on this group that we’re centered on and immigration just isn’t one in every of them, to not dismiss the significance of that,” stated Tony at a county funds listening to earlier this week. “I don’t care what nation you’re from. In case you commit against the law on this nation, or commit against the law on this county, I’m coming for you.”
Tony’s remarks got here in response to a query from a county commissioner about immigration, and observe a string of high-profile immigration raids throughout the U.S. which have seen undocumented immigrants detained by ICE.
His stance contrasts sharply with insurance policies pushed by the Trump administration, which reinstated the 287-G program to permit extra aggressive native immigration enforcement. It additionally places him at odds with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who earlier this yr signed a controversial immigration crackdown invoice—a part of which is now being challenged in court docket.
“What I refuse to do is take this notion that we must be knocking on doorways or arresting youngsters or going into daycare facilities or eating places and taking and snatching folks off these streets,” the BSO sheriff stated. “It’s not inside our purview and it’s not inside our accountability, and I received’t take part in it.”
Tony has been constant on this place. Again in February, he stated: “I didn’t signal as much as be ICE. My patch doesn’t say ICE. My patch is Broward County,” throughout a press convention on the Broward Sheriff’s Workplace headquarters.
Close by, Palm Seashore County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has echoed related views. Requested whether or not his division takes half in immigration sweeps, Bradshaw instructed the Solar Sentinel, “There’s no organized sweeps with us happening so far as simply folks which might be right here illegally.”
He emphasised that the main target stays on those that commit different crimes past unlawful entry. “You don’t must be afraid. In case you’re not a nasty man, you haven’t dedicated against the law otherwise you’re not one of many those who’s right here illegally that’s a convicted assassin, there’s no drawback,” Bradshaw stated.
