What will new immigration enforcement program look like? Miami-Dade Sheriff sheds light
A day after all of the Florida sheriff’s offices committed to aiding federal authorities with enforcing immigration on the street level, many people have expressed concerns on what that will entail. Will deputies ask for your citizenship status when you get pulled over? Will your residency come up when reporting a crime?
Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz shed some light on the subject Thursday to assuage fears after a sheriff’s office-sponsored forum to connect with community members.
While the residents in attendance did not ask about immigration enforcement, they did press Cordero-Stutz on adding more deputies to walk neighborhoods as a form of proactive patrolling — so the first interaction the community has with deputies is not when a crime occurs. Cordero-Stutz, who is the county’s first sheriff in several decades, answered that her office is actively looking at ways to improve its patrolling and community access.
After the community Q-and-A, Cordero-Stutz addressed the media about what joining the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) task force program would look like.
READ MORE: DeSantis, Trump administration partner on cracking down on illegal immigration in Florida
The ICE website described what Miami-Dade sheriff’s office will be doing is enforcing“...limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.” Cordero-Stutz said no exact plan has been made on how that will be woven into the sheriff’s office.
However, she assured that what deputies will continue doing is supporting federal agencies when it comes to enforcing the law.
“We are actively supporting when it comes to crimes that have been committed. We’re going to go out, we’re going to enforce the law,” she said. “If you are a criminal in this county who’s actively committing crimes, you will be arrested.”
For residents not committing crimes, she said their resident status is not her top priority.
She said that if a person is pulled over for a traffic stop, they will still only be asked for their license, insurance and registration — not proof of residency status. If that stop leads to an investigation of more serious crimes or an arrest, then that may change, she said.
“If you are arrested and there is a detainer attached to you or some message in regards to immigration, we will turn you over to federal authorities,” she said.
Cordero-Stutz also does not want residents concerned about being questioned on immigration status when calling 911 or reporting a crime.
“If you are a victim of a crime or you’re a witness to a crime, please call 911,” she said. “Your immigration status is not the priority.”
Last month, she reiterated that while she had President Donald Trump’s backing in her race, she deemed immigration enforcement a federal duty. She echoed a similar sentiment Thursday.
“Federal immigration laws are always federal, that’s literally in the name,” she said. “For me, I uphold the law [but] the laws change. I have a duty to obey the law. That is who I am and that is the Office of the Sheriff’s responsibility, as 66 other sheriffs have clearly stood by the direction given whether at the state or federal level.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 9:37 PM.
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