Florida's sheriff is taking a stand against illegal immigration, making a bold statement to those living in the state illegally ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration.
“And I leave with this message: 'We're heading down south.'” Do it yourself. You can choose to self-deport and avoid a hefty prison sentence, but that time has come. Heading down south,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference Wednesday.
Grady joined Gov. Ron DeSantis and several other local and state officials at a news conference in Winter Haven to discuss actions to combat illegal immigration.
Judd said cracking down on illegal immigration would lead to a reduction in crime.
“Florida needs to set an example for other states and support the president.” [Trump] “This is to eliminate criminals who are victimizing our people,” Judd said.
During the press conference, Judd also shared several specific examples of crimes involving illegal immigrants, including murder, DUI manslaughter, and organized theft rings.
DeSantis echoed Judd's sentiments, saying he is confident the second Trump administration will take swift action on the outgoing Biden administration's immigration policies.
“We Floridians have a sense of urgency to accomplish this mission,” DeSantis said.
“The mission is very simple: We must end this illegal immigration crisis in the United States of America once and for all.”
Florida has been accused of a variety of issues, including the country's “illegal” catch-and-release policy at its southern border and, more recently, the state's alleged refusal to assist states in removing noncitizens from their voter rolls in the 2024 election. took this opportunity to sue the Biden administration.
DeSantis had scheduled a special session to begin the week after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration to fund efforts to fight illegal immigration, including detention and removal.
The governor said the state must uphold President Trump's pledge to address illegal immigration and work to “make sure there is no lingering incentive for people to enter the country illegally.”
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, President Trump thanked DeSantis for calling the special session and said, “I hope other governors will follow suit!”
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
