PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — For the first time, WPTV has obtained data showing multiple Florida state agencies are participating in immigration enforcement.
According to the data, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has encountered more people suspected of being undocumented migrants than any law enforcement agency in the state. The agency accounted for 43% of all suspected encounters according to across the state.
The state agency is one of multiple state agencies being redirected to enforce immigration laws. This includes investigators from the Department of Lottery, Fish and Wildlife Commission, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services along with the office of financial services.
Thomas Kennedy, a policy analyst with a nonprofit focusing on immigrants, said the state’s usage of state agencies to enforce federal immigration laws is “very aggressive” in an interview with WPTV’s Ethan Stein. He said he’s concerned this could be diverting resources from other law enforcement priorities.
"The consequence is traditional crimes, or everyday crimes, go unaddressed," Kennedy said.
He also said he’s concerned this action will mean people, who are at risk of being deported, won’t reach out to law enforcement and sow distrust in minority communities.
The data also provides insight into the demographics of those detained. More than half of people arrested are from Mexico and Guatemala. Only Honduras is the only other country representing more than 10% of arrests, according to the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
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Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered state agencies to deputize officers to enforce immigration laws, similar to ICE or Border Patrol, through what are known as 287(g) agreements.
According to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website, 287(g), "allows ICE — through the delegation of specified immigration officer duties — to enhance collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of aliens who undermine the safety of our nation's communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws."
"We're proud to be one of the first states in the nation to be requested to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to execute functions of immigration enforcement within our state," Gov. DeSantis said in February.
The governor said the agreements will help the Trump administration reach its goal of deporting 1 million per year. According to the state data, these state and local law enforcement agencies arrested nearly 5,300 people suspected of being in the country illegally. About 51% of those arrests came from those 287(g) agreements.
