Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced Wednesday that Florida is going to revive a program to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with deportations, citing how this program had been laid “dormant” during the Biden administration.
The program, 287(g), allows ICE to delegate authority to both state and local law enforcement to perform immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction. In announcing that Florida would be reviving this program, DeSantis knocked the Biden administration for “actively” working to subvert under President Joe Biden’s watch in the White House.
“So now the 287(g) is being revived, we have the ability to receive delegation for our state and local law enforcement officers to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight,” DeSantis stated on Wednesday. “It also allows ICE enforcement and removal operations to partner with state and local enforcement agencies to identify and remove already incarcerated criminal aliens who are eligible for removal before they are rereleased into the community, and we had problems with that under the Biden administration where people would just be simply released rather than have ICE pick them up.”
Governor DeSantis Makes Announcement on Immigration Enforcement https://t.co/eOtDPyNWwS
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 19, 2025
The Florida governor added that this program grants the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and several other state agencies “expanded power” to interrogate anyone who is suspected of being an illegal alien. DeSantis then warned that any illegal found breaking a Florida state law will face consequences for their actions, citing how local, state, and federal law enforcement are on “the same page” regarding illegal immigration.
DeSantis recalled how Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had found illegal immigrants dumping debris into a canal in Broward County, after which these immigrants were detained and placed in the Department of Homeland Security’s custody. The governor described how immigrants had become “emboldened” over the federal government’s inaction seen in the previous four years, but he warned that “those days are over.”
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Due to Florida governors being limited to two consecutive terms, DeSantis cannot seek reelection in 2026. The governor’s wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, has emerged as a top possible Republican candidate to succeed the governor; the governor has described these rumors as “flattering.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has shared a poll showcasing Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) as “far ahead” of other possible candidates for the primary election in Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial election. Donalds has not made any announcement on running for governor, though he has provided insight on what he would seek to accomplish in a hypothetical role in the governor’s mansion.
