PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida's chief financial officer was in Palm Beach County on Thursday to announce the reimbursement of funds to local sheriff's offices for the costs involved in detaining undocumented migrants.
CFO Blaise Ingoglia spoke at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office near West Palm Beach.
WATCH BELOW: Florida sheriffs reimbursed funds for immigration enforcement
St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro and Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers were among the local sheriffs who attended the event.
"There is a cost to illegal immigration, and that cost is being borne by our communities and our taxpayers, and we should not stand for it any longer," Igoglia said. "In Florida, we are using every resource available to protect law-abiding Floridians from the detrimental impacts of illegal immigration."
Reimbursements were as follows to the local sheriff's offices:
- $998,605.39 for St. Lucie County
- $994,373.50 for Palm Beach County
- $93,344.45 for Indian River County
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The CFO said the reimbursement funds are coming from the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
"This money helps our local law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal immigration and deporting criminals out of our country and out of our state," Igoglia said. "Funds today are reimbursements … for the 287 (g) training programs and equipment necessary to assist ICE in the enforcement of the immigration laws, in addition to bonuses for the officers that are 287 (g) certified."
The agencies said the money could go toward new equipment, better transport, jail improvements, software upgrades or more.
He pointed out that the money awarded comes from federal reimbursements for equipment and bonuses that agencies had to spend to qualify for the 287 (g) program, which allows local agencies to work with ICE.
The Department of Homeland Security announced in their latest ICE operation that they arrested 250 undocumented migrants in Florida, including 150 sex offenders.
Ingoglia said Florida is leading the nation in immigrant enforcement.
