A group of sheriffs from Florida’s counties, part of a state advisory committee, is urging President Trump to relax immigration policies and establish a “path to citizenship” for undocumented immigrants who are unemployed and haven’t committed any crimes.
Despite being elected by Republicans and appointed to the state Immigration Executive Council by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, council members are currently drafting a letter to President Trump advocating for a more lenient approach to immigration policy.
Responses to these calls for leniency have already led some state officials to voice opposition. Florida Attorney General James Usmayer remarked, “We do not support this letter,” insisting, “If someone is in this country illegally, they have broken the law.”
Nonetheless, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who leads the council, recently stated that immigrants who are “working hard” in the community deserve consideration.
“Our main focus should be on removing those who are violating the law, those who’ve evaded the immigration system, those who’ve sneaked into the United States. But there are individuals here working hard. They have children in school and college, they attend church, they’re not breaking any laws… they’re living the American dream, contributing positively to our society,” Judd explained.
“However, we have allowed, well, what I’d term as criminal troublemakers to enter this country and harm others, and I believe a legitimate pathway exists for good people with honest intentions,” he continued.
Judd further expressed his frustration with federal immigration authorities, suggesting they are deporting individuals who are “healthy and able to work.”
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Plummell supported Judd’s views, criticizing the Legislature for not taking action to clarify the issue. “They need to recover from this problem and find a solution,” he commented.
Still, Judd made it clear he isn’t advocating for a “free pass.”
“We propose giving you five years to learn English and requiring you to pay a civil fine for illegal entry,” he clarified. “Also, we must ensure taxpayer dollars are not being misused. We need to work and send our kids to school. We already know people who are doing just that.”
One county sheriff in Florida has publicly disagreed with Judd’s stance. Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters, who is also on the council, does not back Judd’s letter.
“As Sheriff, I want to assure you that our agency has and will continue to work together with our state and federal partners to uphold the laws and priorities set by our elected leaders,” Waters stated. “I didn’t participate in the discussions mentioned and do not share or support the comments made by others.”
As the situation unfolded, Sheriff Judd faced increasing criticism for his downplaying of illegal activity.
Shortly after the news surfaced regarding his appeal for looser immigration policies, Judd had to reaffirm his support for the president.
“The idea that we don’t support the president or the government is entirely false. We are providing opinions and feedback,” Judd told WPLG-TV, defending the letter.
