The Florida Sheriff said exploiting relationships with federal immigration enforcement officials is the “tip of the spear” to fight criminal immigrants.
St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick told Fox News Digital that his department is obligated to partner with federal officials.
St. John's County is part of the 287(g) program, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Protection (ICE) will implement certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigration. I will delegate to the officials.
“The Deputy Sheriff is working on Interstate 95 along with our customs and border patrol, ice and erotic,” he said. “We are working with all our federal partners to carry out not only immigration, but also human trafficking, sex trafficking, guns, drugs and all the illegal activities that are happening there.”
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St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick shared how his department works with federal immigration authorities. (Florida Sheriff's Association)
The county's jails, home to the oldest city in the United States, are not federal property, but sheriff's deputies work closely with federal officials to notify you of illegal immigration.
Hardwick explained that if a delegate attracts someone for a traffic violation, the person cannot provide valid evidence of identification and police will find they are legally not in the country.
“Our deputy sheriff will take you to the St. John's County Jail to drive without a valid driver's license,” he said. “And we'll get your fingerprints into the system. We'll also do that through a system called IAQ. [Immigration Alien Query]. And it indicates whether you have a civil deportation letter or perhaps a warrant for your arrest.
“We run IAQ almost every day at St. John's County Jail,” he said. “And there are detainees almost every day.”
St. Augustine, Florida. (istock)
Hardwick shared that in Florida, officials “take the tip of the spear and go to another level.”
“It's about making sure we actually hold all sheriff accountable, play in the sandbox and work with federal partners to enforce these deportations, holds and lists. It means,” he said.
He shared on Friday at 2pm with federal, state and local partners to discuss the worst criminals that the worst criminal aliens in Florida and nearby areas wanted.
“And in Florida, whether you're an illegal alien or a US citizen, we're going to hunt you down to find you and hold you accountable. For action,” he said.
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Hardwick noted that identifying can be difficult because some organizations create fake Social Security numbers and fake driver's licenses that appear to be legitimate.
The US Immigration Customs Enforcement Agent will be attending a meeting in Chicago on January 26, 2025, along with other federal law enforcement agencies. (Bloomberg via Christopher Dilt/Getty Images)
Part of the county's multifaceted approach is to use technology to inform law enforcement that it has arrived in jurisdiction.
“We know there are many overlooked blocks, so we've actually been working hard on Interstate 95. Here we have new tools and techniques for St. John's County. There's one. I recently fired fire,” he said. “There is a license plate reader on our north and south boundary, and when you type it, it runs the car tag.
“As of yesterday, we have an average of 17-22 hits. That means they may be stolen cars, popular people, or someone who wants to be on the Crime Alien List. There is. Unlike here in St. John's County, we are leading the way from the front and leading by examples.”
President Donald Trump spoke about the economy at an event at a circus resort and casino in Las Vegas on January 25th, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Hardwick said his office is awaiting additional guidance on immigration enforcement, referring to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who passed the Sweep Immigration Act in Florida.
“There are only 1,500 beds in Florida due to deportation,” he said. “And there are over 23 million people living here in Florida. Just tracking down those who have a warrant for their arrest, we need to drive them out of our country. .”
He said President Donald Trump “clearly, immigrants were number one on his list.”
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“Let's start preparing if that happens and what it looks like,” he said.
“I think it's important that we do something a little different, and we can't come to this job and sit down as elected officials and do what is happening,” he added. “You have to think outside the box.”
Fox News Digital has contacted the White House, Ice and Gov. Desantis offices for comments.
