John Jefferson
Gov. Ron DeSantis last week signed an agreement that could soon deputize Florida Highway Patrol officers to perform the functions of federal immigration officers, and the head of a union representing the majority of troopers has concerns about the decision.
DeSantis held a series of discussions with law enforcement officials and Floridians affected by illegal immigration Jan. 29 about new legislation needed in the state to assist the Trump administration in countering illegal immigration, the governor’s office said in a statement.
He signed a memorandum between the Florida Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), giving troopers the authority to exercise immigration power.
“Governor DeSantis understands the role of law enforcement and wants to provide the strongest immigration law possible, empowering law enforcement to get to work and deport illegal aliens residing in the state,” Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner said in a statement with DeSantis’ announcement.
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“Troopers are going to do what they’re told to do. … We’re going to become the tip of the spear,” William Smith, president of the Florida Highway Patrol chapter of Florida’s Police Benevolent Association, told Fox News Digital. “But it would be nice to know that … we have additional funding.”
The latest memorandum comes as DeSantis also criticized a new immigration reform bill passed by the Florida Legislature.
“The bill the Florida Legislature passed … fails to honor our promises to voters, fails to meet the moment and would actually weaken state immigration enforcement,” the governor said at a press conference.
“We must have the strongest law in the nation on immigration enforcement that will guarantee state and local deportation assistance, end catch and release, eliminate magnets such as remittances and adopt supporting policies that will protect Floridians.”
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DeSantis wants to mandate that counties and cities participate in the federal deportation program and pushed for the authority to suspend officials who do not comply. He also wanted to make it a state crime to enter the U.S. illegally and require that people show identification and their immigration status before sending money back home.
The legislature’s immigration priorities have included a mandatory death penalty for an illegal immigrant convicted of a capital offense, enhancing sentences for illegal immigrant gang members, expanding shared intelligence among law enforcement agencies, strengthening enforcement of public officials’ compliance with state law banning sanctuary jurisdictions and financial incentives for training law enforcement officers who help ICE task forces.
Fox News Digital reached out to ICE and DeSantis’ office for comment.
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“What’s going on with the Legislature and the governor right now … we’re almost caught in the middle,” Smith said. “There’s no additional funding to pay for those additional duties. … You know, it’s easy to sign a piece of paper and say, ‘we’re going to have troopers do that now.’ OK, well, are you going to pay me more money?”
Smith, who has served as a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol for 41 years, stands by a need for immigration reform, but he believes the agency has already been underfunded for years and does not have enough money to operate.
“Our concern moving forward is we need to increase our pay. … The troopers and the folks that do the job every day … they need to know that they can still put food on the table and be able to buy a house and raise some kids and things of that nature,” he said. “Because, right now, a trooper at starting pay is a permanent apartment dweller.”
In the upcoming 2025-2026 budget, Smith said, the department is asking the Legislature for $12.9 million to raise pay and hire more troopers, whose starting pay is about $54,000. He explained that for the agency to be fully funded, it will need about $27 million.
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After DeSantis signed the memorandum, Smith disclosed that he was left with “more questions than answers.”
“There hasn’t been any guidance … from the governor’s office about what our role will be, what the training will be,” he said. “How many troopers does he want to assign to this?”
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Smith said there are nearly 150 trooper vacancies on the highway patrol right now and that the governor wants to cut 25 trooper positions.
“It’s like taking a step forward and two steps back,” Smith added.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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