Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has authorized the Florida Highway Patrol to independently enforce immigration laws without federal assistance, marking a significant shift in the state's approach to immigration enforcement. Standing with state troopers and federal agents in Tampa on Monday, DeSantis announced that more than 100 FHP officers had been sworn in as special deputy U.S. marshals, granting them authority to apprehend, detain, and process undocumented immigrants under expanded 287(g) powers.
"What we have now with FHP is that they can conduct immigration operations wholly independent of the federal government. And there's no one else in the country where they're doing that," DeSantis said. "These troopers can now do everything an immigration officer would do, up until the point where the individual is processed for removal."
The initiative is an escalation of Florida's existing cooperation with federal immigration agencies through the 287(g) program, which permits state and local law enforcement to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in locating and detaining undocumented immigrants. But the new designation as deputy U.S. marshals allows FHP officers to act without waiting on federal agents to intervene.
Dave Kerner, director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, confirmed the expanded role of state law enforcement: "What that means is, if you see a state trooper, he or she has federal authorities to detain, investigate, apprehend and deport. We have troopers in all 67 counties of this great state that have that authority."
DeSantis described the new protocol as a corrective to what he characterized as a lax federal approach under the Biden administration. "When Biden was president, these guys pulled over an illegal driving drunk. They could call ICE, and ICE may want to come take them," DeSantis said. "How many times do you think ICE wanted to come when Biden was president? Not very often."
The governor also linked the new policy to public safety concerns, citing meetings with so-called "Angel Moms," parents who lost children to crashes involving undocumented drivers. "So many of these drivers had multiple infractions-drunk driving, reckless driving-and if we'd had these policies in place, some of these tragedies could have been avoided," he said.
Florida has significantly expanded its immigration enforcement infrastructure in recent months. Earlier this year, sheriffs in all 67 counties signed 287(g) agreements, boosting state participation in federal immigration enforcement. According to state officials, the expanded partnership enabled the largest immigration crackdown in Florida's history, resulting in over 1,100 arrests. Targets included members of international gangs such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.
The designation of more than 100 FHP troopers as special deputy U.S. marshals is the first of its kind in the nation. Under the new arrangement, troopers can now execute federal warrants and conduct immigration operations in real time without relying on ICE resources. DeSantis touted the program as a model for other states and an essential part of delivering on the promises of mass deportation and border security made during the 2024 presidential campaign.
