A Florida sheriff's recent statements about immigrant arrests tell only part of the story, according to a review of court records that shows most charges were for non-violent offenses.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced that 74% of undocumented immigrants his deputies detained in 2025 had criminal charges against them. However, an examination of records reveals that more than 80% of those charges were for non-violent offenses, with about half being traffic-related violations.
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Of the 564 immigrants arrested with criminal charges, only 16% faced charges for what the FBI defines as violent crime, including assault, domestic battery and one case of attempted second-degree murder. The remaining 84% faced charges for non-violent crimes, including drug offenses, DUI without injuries and prostitution.
Court records show some immigrants were initially stopped for minor violations like tinted windows, unsafe U-turns or riding a bike against traffic flow. In some cases, these minor stops led to criminal charges that were later dropped.
Case study reveals enforcement complexities
- Fernando Dolores-Ortiz, 23, was arrested last summer after being the victim in a car crash while driving without a license. Another driver involved in the crash defended Ortiz, saying he "didn't do nothing" and calling the arrest "wrong."
According to the crash report, deputies contacted ICE before arresting Ortiz. ICE confirmed he was in the country illegally. Court records show Ortiz had four previous charges for driving without a license in Polk County. While he pled guilty to each, he was never formally convicted.
His attorney said Ortiz, whose immigration case is still pending, was eligible for a driver's license, but government mistakes and denials prevented him from obtaining one.
"When he tried to get a driver's license several times, he received answers like 'we don't give immigrants a driver's license,'" explained immigration attorney Magdalena Cuprys.
Months after his arrest, Ortiz was finally able to get a valid driver's license. His criminal record is now clear of any criminal convictions.
"I'm not here to do anything bad," Ortiz said. "I'm only here to work, and if I had broken the law for driving without a license, it was only out of necessity, because I had to go to work, and I'm here to work and be a good person and contribute to society."
When asked if he feels at risk every time he leaves home, Ortiz said he's conscious he could be arrested but remains hopeful because he has a pending immigration case.
His attorney said Polk County "wants to obviously, somehow show that they're a tough enforcer, and they are."
Sheriff defends enforcement approach
Since President Trump's second-term immigration crackdown began, Florida has arrested more than 20,000 immigrants, second only to Texas. Polk County has among the highest arrest totals by any local agency in the state, with more than 550 arrests.
Sheriff Judd, who serves on Florida's Immigration Enforcement Council, defended his agency's enforcement approach when questioned about whether his statements are fair to immigrants who get charged but not convicted.
"Every one of those people violated the law, violated a criminal law in the state of Florida, and they were arrested, 74% of them," Judd said. "So, if you're going to report, either report the truth or admit that you're creating fake news."
However, the records show that most immigrants were arrested for non-violent crimes, and they don't all end up being criminals.
It remains unclear how many immigrants arrested in Polk County were ultimately convicted. Many of the cases remain pending.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
