LAKELAND, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis underscored Florida’s immigration enforcement metrics during a news conference, contrasting the state’s approach to immigration enforcement with policies in Democratic-led “sanctuary states” like California and New York. Speaking at the Tenoroc Public Use Area in Lakeland, DeSantis revealed that state and local law enforcement officers in Florida account for…
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LAKELAND, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis underscored Florida’s immigration enforcement metrics during a news conference, contrasting the state’s approach to immigration enforcement with policies in Democratic-led “sanctuary states” like California and New York.
Speaking at the Tenoroc Public Use Area in Lakeland, DeSantis revealed that state and local law enforcement officers in Florida account for nearly half of all immigration-related arrests nationwide. He attributed the high figures to mandatory state and local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, arguing that states providing social incentives to illegal aliens only exacerbate the national border crisis.
“If you look at all the state and local arrests of illegal aliens on immigration offenses in the country, Florida accounts for almost half of them at our state and local level,” DeSantis said.
“In California, you get treated better if you show up illegally than if you’re just working, if you’re just like a middle class person, they tax you, they do all this stuff. There, you get benefits, and it’s a magnet for this,” he said.
DeSantis also criticized cultural and legal shifts in other states, referencing recent New York legislation aimed at replacing traditional parental terms like “mother” in state family statutes with gender-neutral phrases like “gestating person.” The governor argued that such policies reflect priorities that run counter to traditional American values and the intentions of the Founding Fathers.
“We represent six and a half to 7% of the U.S. population, and yet we account for between 40 and 50% of all state and local immigration arrests,” DeSantis said. “You know that should tell you that we’re really doing it right.”
DeSantis detailed a broad array of Florida enforcement actions, including maritime interdictions under Operation Vigilant Sentry—which he noted has intercepted and turned over approximately 20,000 migrants at sea—temporary detention operations at Baker County and Alligator Alley, and the state’s legislative repeal of in-state college tuition benefits for students in the country illegally.
According to state officials, Florida Highway Patrol troopers and local sheriffs’ offices continue to execute strict immigration checks during routine traffic stops and criminal investigations to ensure individuals in the country illegally are turned over directly to federal custody.
