Full news conference: State and local officials address illegal immigration
Governor Ron DeSantis, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and several other officials held a news conference on Wednesday in Winter Haven to address efforts to combat illegal immigration.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Several local and state officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, talked about Florida’s latest efforts to fight illegal immigration ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next Monday.
Florida leaders on immigration policy
What they’re saying:
At a news conference Wednesday morning in Winter Haven, DeSantis railed against the outgoing Biden Administration over immigration policy while saying he’s confident the second Trump Administration will take swift action.
“We in Florida have a sense of urgency to accomplish this mission,” DeSantis said. “The mission is very simple: we need to end the illegal immigration crisis once and for all in these United States of America.”
Governor Ron DeSantis spoke on Wednesday in Winter Haven on the issue of immigration.
Judd spoke about the law enforcement angle, arguing that cracking down on illegal immigration would reduce crime.
“Florida needs to set the example for the other states and support the president [Trump], to get rid of these criminals who are victimizing our people,” Judd said.
Judd also gave several specific examples of crimes involving undocumented immigrants, including cases of murder, DUI manslaughter and organized theft rings.
Sheriff Grady Judd spoke on Wednesday in Winter Haven on the issue of immigration.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey also spoke in support of the governor at Wednesday’s news conference.
Upcoming special session
Big picture view:
The governor has called a special session of the Florida Legislature beginning on Jan. 27 to address immigration.
DeSantis laid out a list of proposals during Wednesday’s news conference, including:
- Requiring “maximum participation” among all cities and counties in enforcement of immigration laws
- Enacting criminal penalties for illegal entry under state law, in addition to federal laws
- Appointing a state Immigration Enforcement Officer dedicated to overseeing coordination with federal authorities
- Expanding existing authorities, with the support of the federal government, to empower local and state officials to detain and deport undocumented immigrants
- Stronger gang enforcement, including broadening the legal definition of gang-related activity
- Reforms to education and voting rules (DeSantis cited proposals to prohibit some state universities from admitting undocumented immigrants and to end in-state tuition at public colleges and universities)
- Stricter rules for affirming U.S. citizenship and Florida residency when registering to vote
- Increasing penalties for illegal immigrants who commit voter fraud or provide false voter registration information
- Imposing ID verification for foreign remittances (transfer of money from one country to another)
- Flight risk presumption when considering bail for illegal immigrants who are brought up on criminal charges
Florida vs. the federal government
The backstory:
Florida has pursued legal action against the Biden Administration multiple times when it comes to immigration, most recently filing a lawsuit ahead of the November 2024 election in an effort to purge non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls.
The other side:
Officials with the Biden Administration have fought back against criticism from Republican leaders across the country, pointing to actions they say led to a decline from peak levels of illegal border crossings.
In June 2024, the Homeland Security Department said apprehensions over illegal border crossings dropped more than 40% after Biden signed an executive order regarding the asylum process.
Those restrictions cut off asylum access when arrivals at the border reached a certain number.
The Source: This story was written using information from Wednesday’s news conference in Winter Haven, along with previous FOX 13 reports.
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