Immigration

A look at Florida cities that have agreed to help find, arrest undocumented immigrants

Multiple law enforcement officers processed a group of illegal migrants and two suspected smugglers arrested at 11600 Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables early morning, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
Multiple law enforcement officers processed a group of illegal migrants and two suspected smugglers arrested at 11600 Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables early morning, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. pportal@miamiherald.com

More than two dozen cities across Florida, including Coral Gables in Miami-Dade County, Davie in Broward and Key West in Monroe, have agreed to collaborate with federal immigration authorities seeking to identify and deport undocumented immigrants.

All 67 sheriff’s offices across Florida recently announced that they had agreed to participate and deputize officers. State law requires law enforcement agencies that run county jails to enroll in the federal 287(g) program. Local police departments can choose to participate in any or all of three models of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiative.

Read more: Florida’s police and sheriffs on the vanguard of Trump’s immigration-enforcement plans

The three models, according to the ICE website, are:

The Jail Enforcement Model, designed to identify and process removable immigrants — with criminal or pending criminal charges — who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies.

The Task Force Model, which ICE says serves as a “force multiplier” for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority — including stopping, questioning and detaining undocumented immigrants — in the communities they police.

The Warrant Service Officer program, which allows ICE to train, certify and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on immigrants in their agencies’ jails.

So far, all cities in Florida that are participating have chosen to take part in the Task Force model.

Read more: What will new immigration enforcement program look like? Miami-Dade Sheriff sheds light

Hialeah’s City Council will vote on Tuesday on whether to take part.

Here’s a list of the Florida cities whose police departments are participating in the program, according to ICE:

Arcadia

Belleair

Blountstown

Chattahoochee

Clearwater

Clermont

Coral Gables

Davie

Deland

Fort Walton Beach

Gulfport

Indian River Shores

Indian Shores

Juno Beach

Kenneth City

Key West

Lake Placid

Marianna

Naples

Palm Beach Gardens

Panama City Beach

Panama City

Pinellas Park

Springfield

St. Augustine Beach

St. Augustine

St. Petersburg

Tampa

Tarpon Springs

Tequesta

Town of Palm Beach

Treasure Island

This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 5:30 AM.

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